Dreams vs Nightmares
by IamDragonFury
Summary: Sequel to "Fionna's Nightmare" and the third part of my "Nightmare Saga". With Nightmare Queen defeated, her evil, merciless daughter, Tantibus, claims her crown, and vows to succeed where her mother failed. Fionna must summon some godly help and find NQ's estranged son, the Imagniation Prince, to win, all while protecting Marshall Lee from being claimed by the new Nightmare Queen.
1. Chapter 1

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 1

Story three, here we go.

* * *

_We all know what nightmares are, we have them while we sleep, and we experience them in life. _

_Disturbing, nightmares may be, but in the end, what is a nightmare but a dream, a bad dream, and where there are bad dreams, there are good dreams as well._

_Imagination is the comfort, it is the key to save ourselves from those nagging nightmares._

_In the end, our imagination can be our downfall, or our salvation._

* * *

The Nightmare Queen sat isolated in her palace tower, still reeling from her defeat at the hands of the human girl, Fionna.

"I can't believe it," she sighed, "I was defeated, twice, by a little girl, a lowly, powerless, _mortal_, little girl."

She swayed as she sat on her knees.

"It's...it's like...my worst nightmare...or...my _second _worst nightmare...has come true." NQ whined.

The fallen queen fell on all fours.

"This can't possibly get any worse." she huffed.

Just then, she heard a hauntingly familiar voice, "Hello, Mother."

Nightmare Queen stood right up.

"Tantibus." she gasped.

NQ turned around, and saw her daughter standing before her.

"Ha ha, after all these years, you still manage to recognize my voice." the Nightmare Princess said.

"What do you want, daughter?" Nightmare Queen growled.

"You have been defeated,_ twice_, mother dearest," Tantibus said austerely, "you know what that means."

"You wouldn't dare," NQ responded tensely, "you can't!"

"Stop me if you can." Nightmare Princess quipped.

Tantibus gingerly reached out and grabbed her mother's crown, Nightmare Queen wanted to stop her, but she had neither the will nor the strength to do so. Her daughter removed her crown from her head and placed it upon her own.

"Now I am the Queen of Nightmare, and _you_ are nothing," Tantibus proclaimed, "just like in the beginning, nothing, you've always been nothing, and that's all you'll ever be!"

"I used to be something." NQ mumbled.

"Where you failed, I will succeed," the newly self-proclaimed Nightmare Queen declared, "because unlike you, mother, I'm not corrupted, I am pure, utter, naturally born, _evil_! Like a real Nightmare Sovereign should be! This is my Nightmare Queendom now, and soon the whole world, no, the universe, will be a part of it!"

"You forget, my daughter," Malicia voiced, "your brother, will not let it happen."

"My little brother," Tantibus retorted, "is no concern of mine, that righteous runt will be at my feet in no time."

"In your dreams maybe." NQ muttered.

"Though you pose no threat to me whatsoever," Tantibus said, "I can't risk any interference."

With one wave of Tantibus's hand, NQ was in enchanted chains, bound to the wall.

"There we go," Tantibus stated, "nice and secure."

The former princess started to make her way out of the tower.

"You can't do this, Tantibus!" Malicia cried, struggling, "I created you!"

Tantibus stopped and took one last look at her mother.

"No mom," she affirmed, "I created _you_."

After exiting the palace, Tantibus cast a spell on the castle that prevented anyone from entering or exiting it.

"Creatures of the Nightmare Realm!" she announced, "Heed me! For I am your new Nightmare Queen! Follow me, and you will never face starvation again! You will be my minions, or you will be my food! Regardless! I am in charge now, and no one can stop me! And if anyone so much as even tries to stop me, they will experience torment beyond anything they ever have or ever will see in their nightmare!"

* * *

This new addition to my "Nightmare Saga" will touch more on the Nightmare Queen's back story, as well as her beyond broken family.


	2. Chapter 2

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 2

Moving on.

Just to clarify, this takes place a day after the end of "Fionna's Nightmare".

* * *

It had been about a day after Fionna had beaten the Nightmare Queen for the second time, and she thought that perhaps now everyone could relax.

Right now it was nighttime, and she and Cake were at Marshall Lee's house; Cake was sleeping on the floor, while Marshall was sleeping in his bed.

After going through all that had happened, Fionna was surprised he had not collapsed from exhaustion. Then again, he was always a very strong person, and like all vampires, he recovered quickly.

Regardless, ever since the Nightmare Queen incidents, Fionna was reluctant to leave him alone, for fear that the nightmare would start all over again.

For now she just remained seated beside the vampire's bed.

"Perhaps now we can catch a break," she muttered, "please Grod? A break?"

Marshall opened his eyes halfway, hearing her speak.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

"Nothing," Fionna said quietly, "go back to sleep."

Marshall Lee closed his eyes again.

Fionna sighed and leaned back against the wall.

* * *

**~Breakfast Kingdom~**

Breakfast Prince and his brother, Toast Prince, were asleep in their bedroom.

It was a quiet, peaceful night, still, with no strong wind at all.

Toast Prince was sleeping soundly in his bed, when suddenly he heard the sound of thunder.

He woke up.

Toast Prince looked to his brother, Breakfast Prince, who was sleeping in his own bed.

"Bro, bro." Toast Prince called, trying to wake his brother.

"What?" Breakfast Prince replied quietly, keeping his closed.

"I heard something outside," Toast Prince said, "it sounded like thunder."

"So," BP said sleepily, "thunder won't hurt you."

"I know," Toast Prince said in response, "but the weather didn't call for any storm tonight, in fact, it was supposed to be all clear skies."

"The weather's not always right, Rye," Breakfast Prince sighed, "just go back to sleep."

Right as he said that, an unnaturally loud clap of thunder rang out in the sky, and Breakfast Prince woke up instantly.

"What the!" he gasped.

"The sky," Toast Prince said tensely, looking out the window, "it looks weird."

Breakfast Prince looked to see for himself, the sky had become dark, overcast with blue-black clouds. Bright green lightning streaked the sky.

"It looks just like when the Nightmare Queen attacked our kingdom." Breakfast Prince said anxiously.

"Grod, no! Not again!" Toast Prince yelled.

Breakfast Prince grabbed Toast Prince and ran out of the castle.

Lightning struck the ground a few times, and Breakfast Prince moved around frantically trying to avoid it, whilst holding onto Toast Prince.

"This can't be happening!" Breakfast Prince yelled.

Just then, a trail of flames rushed past them.

"Flame Prince!?" BP uttered.

The Fire Prince stopped in his tracks.

"BP, what are you doing out here?" he questioned.

"We saw the sky go all weird," Breakfast Prince answered, "we can't stay here."

"I know, it just spread over the Fire Kingdom and it's gonna keep spreading." Flame Prince said.

"What are we gonna do, Lucent?" Breakfast Prince voiced,

"I was hoping to warn the others before it got too far." Flame Prince stated.

"It looks like it's spreading towards the Candy Kingdom next," Breakfast Prince pointed out, "we should go tell Gumball."

"Do we really have to?" Flame Prince groaned.

"Flame Prince!" Breakfast Prince replied scoldingly.

"All right," Flame Prince sighed, "let's go warn Pink Mess."

Then the three princes hurried toward the Candy Kingdom.

* * *

Things will go a bit differently than last time.


	3. Chapter 3

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 3

More stuff.

* * *

It was almost two in the morning in the Candy Kingdom.

Lord Monochromicorn was in his stable in the Cotton Candy Forest.

He was sleeping perfectly, when he heard the loud, eerie sounding thunder.

Looking outside, he saw the dark storm in the sky, spreading overhead.

"What is this?" he thought.

Mo-Chro ran from his stable and bolted across the sky, only to be encountered by strange, horse-like, beings made of lightning, that tried to impede him.

He neighed loudly.

"Out of my way!" he stomped in the air.

LM rushed past the creatures, ignoring the fact that he was getting excessively electrocuted.

Mo-Chro flew until he reached the Candy Castle.

He went to Prince Gumball's bedroom window, which was locked, inside his master was sleeping, oblivious to the approaching danger outside.

Lord Monochromicorn frantically neighed and banged on the window with his hoof, trying to wake the prince.

In desperation, Mo-Chro smashed his way through the window, sending broken glass everywhere.

Finally, Gumball awoke when he heard the glass shatter, and was shocked to find his battered pet had broken through his window.

"Mo-Chro!?" he gasped.

"Situation, Master." LM said in morse code.

PG quickly noticed that the great stallion was already damaged from more than just the window.

"Mo-Chro, what happened?" he asked worriedly, "Your hurt."

"Outside!" Mo-Chro stomped.

They went outside, Gumball looked up and saw the darkening sky.

"Ah man." he groaned.

"Bubba!" Breakfast Prince called as he, Toast Prince, and Flame Prince arrived.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" Gumball asked.

"Well, we came to tell you about _that_," Flame Prince said, pointing at the sky, "but it looks like you already know."

"Is the Nightmare Queen back?" Breakfast Prince wondered tensely, holding Toast Prince tightly.

"She can't be," Gumball said, "Fionna beat her."

"Where is Fionna?" Flame Prince asked.

**~Marshall Lee's House~**

Fionna was still awake, while Cake and Marshall slept soundly.

Suddenly, she heard the phone ring.

Fionna quickly answered it so it would not wake the worn Vampire King.

"Hello?" she answered quietly.

"Fionna," Gumball replied frantically, "you have to get out here, there is an uber critical situation!"

"Can't it wait till morning?" Fionna wondered.

"Uh, we'll be lucky if there even_ is_ a morning!" Gumball yelled.

"Okay, I'll get over there." Fionna replied.

She hung up the phone.

Fionna looked at Marshall Lee, looking so peaceful, sleeping in his bed.

Unfortunately, she had to wake him from his slumber and make him leave his house, because she still did not want to leave him alone.

"Marshy?" Fionna said, gently shaking him to wake him up.

Marshall groaned softly as he stirred and opened his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes to alleviate his blurry vision.

"I'm sorry, hon," Fionna said remorsefully, seeing his blood-shot eyes, "but we have to go to the Candy Kingdom."

"What? Why?" Marshall replied wearily.

"I don't know," Fionna said, "but it sounded urgent."

She tapped the sleeping Cake with her foot.

"Cake, get up," she told her, "we gotta go to the Candy Kingdom."

"Yes, now." Fionna sighed.

Marshall Lee forced himself up, so tired he could barely float.

He was still dressed in his night-clothes, and he did not feel like putting on anything else.

Marshall yawned deeply, he was the one that needed more sleep than anyone, but it would have to wait.

"Aw, I know your tired," Fionna said apologetically, "so am I. Once we get this taken care of, we can all get so much desired sleep."

"I'm up." Cake groaned.

"Let's go." Fionna said.

As they left the house, Marshall accidentally ran head first into the door frame, still dazed from exhaustion.

"Ah!" he squealed, fixing his fair.

Fionna grabbed him and pulled him through the door.

"Were good." she said.

* * *

Oy, sorry it's starting off so slow.

Next chapter things should start to pick up.


	4. Chapter 4

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 4

Let's see if things can pick up now.

* * *

Fionna made it to Candy Kingdom with Cake and Marshall Lee in tow.

She approached the Candy Castle where, Prince Gumball, Breakfast Prince, Toast Prince, and Flame Prince were waiting.

"This better be important." Fionna said, still irritated about having to wake her tired friends.

"Look." Flame Prince stated, pointing upwards.

Fionna looked up and saw the dark mess forming in the sky.

"Oh, I see," she voiced, "yeah that is kinda alarming."

"You said the Nightmare Queen was dead." Flame Prince said.

"I said defeated, not dead." Fionna said in response.

It was then the other half of the gang showed up.

"What's going on out here?" Marceline questioned, dressed in night-clothes.

Before Fionna could say anything, it started raining icicles.

"Ah! Weird rain again!" Princess Bubblegum squealed.

"Inside!" Fionna yelled.

She grabbed the still lethargic Marshall Lee, then they all ran into the castle.

Just like the first time, they watched the bizarre weather phenomenon through the palace windows.

"Well...it's not blood." Finn stated.

A voice then rang out; "Human Fionna! Face me mortal girl!"

"That doesn't sound like the Nightmare Queen." Marshall Lee voiced wearily.

"It's not," Fionna said austerely, "everyone stay in here."

The human girl exited the castle.

Fionna stood in the Castle Courtyard, and before her appeared a youthful girl, whom she recognized as Tantibus, the Nightmare Queen's daughter.

"Nightmare Princess." Fionna stated.

"No, _I_ am the Nightmare Queen now," Tantibus informed, "when you defeated my mother, her vulnerability allowed me to claim her crown."

"So...you killed her?" Fionna wondered.

"No," Tantibus scoffed, "of course not, I wasn't about to waste my power destroying that invertebrate. I left her imprisoned in her own palace."

"What do you want, Tantibus?" Fionna questioned.

"I am here to do what my mother could not, I will feed off this world and make it part of _my _Nightmare Queendom," the new Nightmare Queen proclaimed, "ha ha, yes, where my mother failed, I will succeed."

"I highly doubt that," Fionna replied, "if she couldn't do it, what makes you so sure _you_ can?"

"Because, unlike my mother, I know the true art of strategy, and _I _am the definition of evil." Tantibus said in response.

"Yeah right," Marshall Lee called from the castle doorway, "I've heard that one numerous times from several different beings."

"Marshall!" Fionna yelled, "Not now!"

"What? I'm still in the castle." Marshall stated.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot about the fair Marshall Lee," Tantibus voiced, "I will take care of him as well."

"You _so _will not!" Fionna yelled.

"We'll see," Tantibus said, "I have plans for every male on this_ rock pile _you call home."

"Like mother like daughter, huh?" Fionna replied.

"I am _not_ like my mother!" Tantibus shouted, "I am the strong one, _I_ have the competence, _I_ have the strategy, before I was born I had this whole thing planned out!"

"Really?" Fionna responded skeptically, "Well fine, we'll just see, because you're not the first mentally unstable freak I've had to take down."

"If I were you, I'd be more worried about my associates than about the antagonist." Tantibus stated.

"Well, at least I'm not alone." Fionna said.

"Nor am I." Tantibus replied.

The new Nightmare Queen looked behind her, and a swarm of black, vine-like organisms came up out of the ground and started linking together, and as they connected, they started irradiating an indigo aura.

"In exactly one hundred and twenty hours, this world will be completely drained of its life energy," Tantibus informed, "and when this world is dead, a new Nightmare Queendom will be born."

Fionna glared at her.

"I cannot wait to see how you attempt to stop me," Tantibus quipped, "it's gonna be entertaining."

"It won't be that entertaining when you lying unconscious on the ground like your mother did after I beat her." Fionna retorted.

Tantibus responded only by laughing, then she disappeared.

When Tantibus was gone, Fionna returned to the castle.

"Okay, so the world is going to die in exactly on hundred twenty hours," she announced moderately, "any questions or ideas?"

"Yeah," Jake asked, "does the "no negativity" rule still stand?"

"Tantibus ain't feeding off negativity," Fionna answered, "but still, I better not hear any whining."

"We're all gonna die." Gumball whined.

"I said no whining!" Fionna yelled.

* * *

Okay, now it's going.

More stuff coming.


	5. Chapter 5

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 5

Moving on.

* * *

"If everyone could just stay here for a moment," Fionna said, "I need to go talk to some people."

Fionna went out to the castle garden.

"Haven," she called, "Glacia? Botania? Anyone?"

Just then, up from the ground came the Lady of Evil.

"Yo." she said.

Then Glacia, Botania, and Bronta appeared.

"We were just coming to find you when you called us." Glacia said.

"Great," Fionna replied, "anyway, Tantibus is attacking our world, any suggestions or need to know info?"

"Well, we do know who can help," Botania said, "but there's just one problem."

"What?" Fionna asked.

"Only N...Malicia, knows where he is." Glacia said.

"Oh..." Fionna responded.

"Because you beat her, and given her vulnerable state," Glacia informed, "Malicia will have no choice but to cooperate with you if you ask her."

"Sweet!" Fionna said gladly.

"'Nother problem." Bronta informed.

"What now?" Fionna sighed.

"Tantibus imprisoned Malicia in her palace," Glacia said, "she also cast a spell on the castle to keep anyone from getting in or out."

"Really?" Fionna groaned.

"That's why I'm here," Haven said, "I have a way to fix that."

"How?" Fionna asked.

"Hand." LoE requested, holding out her blue hand.

Fionna grabbed the Lady of Evil's hand and felt the sensation of a million lightning bolts striking her body at once.

"Whatever." she squealed when it was over.

"There you go," Haven told her, "you're now indestructible inside and out, you can't feel pain, and you'll be able to penetrate any force field you come up against."

"Awesomeness!" Fionna laughed.

"We'll take you to the Nightmare Realm now." Glacia said.

"One sec." Fionna stated.

She ran back to the castle.

"Okay so I have to go somewhere else for a moment," she informed them, "and I will be back."

"Do _any _of us need to go too?" Marshall asked.

"No, no you stay here." Fionna instructed, "You too, Cake."

"What? Why?" Cake replied.

Fionna subtly pointed at Marshall Lee.

"Oh...got it." Cake said.

"Right," Fionna said, "I'll be back."

She ran back out to the garden, where LoE and the sisters were waiting.

"I'm ready now." Fionna stated.

The sisters opened the portal, and with a running start, Fionna jumped right through to the other side.

She found herself right outside the old Nightmare Queen's castle, still surrounded by the blue-black forcefield.

"Here we go." the human girl said.

"Hey, Fi." another said.

Fionna looked and was shocked to see that Finn and Jake had followed her.

"Finn? Jake? You guys shouldn't be here." Fionna voiced.

"Come on," Finn replied, "you got to do all the work last time, we're heroes too."

"Fine," Fionna sighed, "but you have to stay close to me."

The human girl approached the forcefield, plunged her fist through it, and made an opening big enough for her and her allies to fit through.

Then Fionna forced her way into the Nightmare Palace, which just looked beyond wrecked.

"Whoa." Finn said, looking around.

"Hello?" Fionna called out.

"Up in the tower." Glacia told her.

Fionna, along with Finn and Jake, ran up to the tower.

Inside, the keep was dark and in ruins.

In the middle of the floor, the uncrowned queen lay on all fours. Her hair more a mess than it usually was, her dress tattered and torn, some of her long, spiked fingers appeared to be broken, bent in the most unnatural positions.

Fionna had never contemplated that damage she had done to the fallen royal.

The human girl slowly approached the former Nightmare Queen, and listening closely, she heard Malicia muttering in an unrecognizable language.

Suddenly, Malicia looked up at her, and Fionna saw that the dethroned queen's silver optic orbs had lost their intimidating luster.

"Nightmare Queen?" Fionna spoke.

"Not anymore." Malicia sighed.

Fionna noticed that old NQ was missing some of her razor-like teeth, and the rest were disfigured.

"Uh," Fionna said awkwardly, "I need your help."

"I know...I know why your here," Malicia replied, "but I can't stop Tantibus, her power and strength is superior to mine in every way."

Fionna found it hard to believe that this was the same creature that nearly brought the apocalypse to her world and kidnapped her beloved friend, as well as putting him through utter hell.

"But she's your daughter," Fionna responded, "you must know something that can stop her."

"Not something," Malicia said, "but..._someone_."

"Who? Tell me!" Fionna urged.

"Her brother..." Malicia told her solemnly, "my son, the Imagination Prince, he also goes by Dream Prince."

"Dream Prince..." Fionna replied, "how can I find him?"

"You'd have to go to the Imagination Realm," Malicia explained, "find his Castle In the Sky and you'll find him there."

"Imagination Realm," Fionna muttered, "Castle In the Sky, got it."

"When you find him," Malicia requested, "tell him to take his sister down at all cost, and tell him that his is still my favorite child."

"But I thought you hated males." Fionna replied.

"It's complicated," Malicia said, "just go."

Fionna ran back to the three sisters.

"Okay," she asked, "so can y'all get me to the Imagination Realm?"

"Of course." Glacia said.

"Great," Fionna said, "but first I need to stop by home for a moment to get something."

* * *

Going on, eventually, they'll meet the Imagination/Dream Prince.


	6. Chapter 6

Dreams vs Nightmare

Chapter 6

Still going.

* * *

Fionna returned to the Candy Castle.

"All right guys," Fionna spoke, "I have to go to the Imagination Realm and I'm gonna need some assistance, so who wants to come?"

"You know I have to come with you," Cake said, "we stick together."

"We'll go." Finn said, with Jake nodding in agreement.

"Yeah...I better go with you." Marceline said.

Marshall Lee flew up to Fionna.

"Me too, I wanna go too," Marshall said, "please?"

Fionna could see the determination in his enervated eyes; though a long journey would not be good for his worn frame, she felt it would be safer for him to go with her than stay behind.

"Okay," Fionna said, patting him on the head, "let's go team."

"What about the rest of us?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"You guys stay her and _try _to protect our world," Fionna instructed, "do anything you can, even if it seems unethical."

"Even kill?" Gumball wondered.

"Yes G, odds are you'll have to." Fionna said.

Lady Rainicorn flew up to Jake.

"Jake, take me with." Lady Rainicorn begged.

"No way, it's too dangerous," Jake said, "you stay and help Princess Bubblegum."

"Yae, Jake." Lady said sadly, backing away.

"Okay, let's go." Fionna said.

Fionna and her allies went outside where Glacia and her sisters were waiting.

"Okay," Fionna said, "I got what I needed, ready for the Imagination Realm."

They opened the portal for her and Fionna and co. jumped through it.

"Well, now what do we do?" Gumball wondered.

"Maybe we should destroy those vines that are bleeding the life from the planet." Flame Princess suggested.

"That'll take forever." Princess Bubblegum said.

"Do _you_ have a better idea?" Flame Princess questioned.

"Uh...Nevermind." PB replied.

"That's what I thought." Flame princess said.

"All right then," Bubblegum said, "hang on."

She ran to her utility closet and pulled out a purple axe and a pink chainsaw.

PB returned to the others and tossed Gumball his axe.

"Time for some serious yard work!" Bubblegum said.

They went outside, Bubblegum immediately started destroying as many vines as she could with her chainsaw, while Gumball hacked at them with his axe.

Flame Prince and Flame Princess used their flames to burn several vines at once.

Lady Rainicorn and Lord Monochromicorn used their powers to destroy the vines.

**~Imagination Realm~**

Meanwhile, Fionna and her team had made it to the Imagination Realm.

"Okay guys," Fionna informed, "we are looking for a castle in the sky, literally."

"This place looks so flat and plain," Finn said, "I wonder how we get around here."

"It would be nice if we had a way to go up." Fionna said.

"Stretch?" Jake suggested.

"Nah, remember the last time you over stretched yourself?" Finn replied.

"Oh yeah." Jake said.

"Marceline, you and I could just fly and carry everyone upward." Marshall Lee suggested.

"Marshall no, that wouldn't be good for you, either of you." Fionna said.

They all looked up to think.

"We need steps man." Finn sighed.

"You know what we could use," Marshall Lee voiced, "steps, big enough for all of us to fit on, that come up out of the ground, each one being higher than the last, to get allow us to move upward."

"How very specific." Marceline stated.

As they finished speaking, a round pedestal rose a foot out of the ground.

"Look!" Marceline said, pointing at the pedestal.

Fionna jumped on it, and in front of the pedestal another one appeared, higher than the first one.

"Duh," Fionna said, "_Imagination _Realm people, way to be specific, Marshy."

"So all we have to do is imagine to find our way around." Cake said.

"Come on people," Fionna said, "we have nowhere to go but up!"

**~Aaa~**

Bubblegum and all those who remained behind were trying to rid the land of the life-sucking vines in the ground.

However, they found the process seemed to be harder than they had first expected.

Gumball severed a vine with his axe, but noticed it was getting dull.

"This isn't working!" he called.

Bubblegum sawed apart another vine.

"I know," she called back, "we need reinforcement."

She killed another vine.

"Flame Princess!" PB called.

"What?" Flame Princess replied, scorching more vines.

"We need to summon every princess in Ooo!" Bubblegum affirmed.

"Right." Flame Princess said.

"Go to my castle and hit the button on my phone!" Bubblegum instructed.

"Got it!" Flame Princess said, and she headed for PB's castle.

"Bubba, summon all the princes in Aaa!" Bubblegum instructed, "We need all the help we can get!"

"Okay," Gumball said, "as soon as I can get into my castle."

Lord Monochromicorn picked him up and took him into his castle.

"Thanks, Mo-Chro." Gumball said.

However, he found that the evil vines had started coming up through his floor.

Gumball jumped to the ground and tried to stomp through the mess of vines.

Luckily, he was able to reach his phone, on which was a button that, like all the princesses in Ooo, every prince in Aaa had on their phones. When the button was pushed, it would alert all the other princes that there was an emergency, and the color the button turned indicated which prince pressed it. Since it was Gumball, the button on all the princes' phones turned pink.

After fighting off more vines, Gumball got back on Mo-Chro and they fled the castle.

"I got it!" he yelled, once outside.

"Good!" Bubblegum yelled, revving her chainsaw again, "now we wait!"

* * *

I don't know about the summoning thing, but as I remember on the AT episode "Loyalty to the King", the Princess do call each other.


	7. Chapter 7

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 7

More stuff coming on.

* * *

The princes of Aaa and princesses of Ooo, along with many of the kingdom inhabitants, were relentlessly trying to destroy the vines that were sucking their world dry, however, when the vines were destroyed, Tantibus would make them grow back again.

The new Nightmare Queen sat up in her own stronghold, which hovered in the sky so she could look down at the land.

She was watching the beings of Ooo and Aaa as they tried desperately to save their doomed world.

"This is more entertaining to watch than guy-slash smut." Tantibus snickered.

**~Imagination Realm~**

Meanwhile, Fionna and co. were still making their way through the Imagination Realm. After ascending so many raised pedestals, they had reached the first level of solid land.

"Oh finally," Fionna sighed, "real land."

"This grass is so soft." Jake said, rubbing his foot on the ground.

"Come on," Fionna said, "no time to waste."

"Where do we go now?" Finn asked, "There's nothing but grass."

"That's why we have to keep thinking, genius." Fionna replied.

Using an enlarged Jake for transportation, they started moving forward again.

**~Aaa~**

The royals of Ooo and Aaa were still working together to save their land from Tantibus's demonic organisms.

Princess Bubblegum continued severing evil plants with her chainsaw, while mounted on Lady Rainicorn, who was using her powers to destroy the plants.

"Don't stop, Lady!" PB yelled.

Tantibus was still watching, though she did not see any of them as a threat, she decided it was time or a new route.

"Let's see how well you fight without your precious boys." the new Nightmare Queen said.

Tantibus then used her powers to bond herself with the earth.

As the others continued destroying the evil vines, they started moving.

The vines began to grow and flail, they then started restraining the princesses as they started grabbing the princes and pulling them under ground.

Flame Prince was unable to be caught, because he kept burning the plants.

Water Princess was at his side.

"I am needed at the ocean." she said quietly.

"Right behind you." Flame Prince replied.

He used his fire to clear their path as they ran for the ocean.

Flame Princess pulled Water Prince close and used her fire to protect him.

"Flame Princess." Water Prince said tensely.

"It'll be okay." Flame Princess said, throwing fireballs everywhere.

"But the ocean," Water Prince said gravely, "she calls for me!"

He could always sense when the ocean, or any other body of water inhabited with aquatic life was in danger.

"Then let's go." Flame Princess said.

She grabbed his hand and they ran toward the ocean.

The only prince left was Gumball, he was difficult to catch, as he was still mounted on Lord Monochromicorn.

"Get off!" PG yelled, swinging his axe at the devilish vines.

"Go, Lady!" Bubblegum urged, heading in Gumball's and Mo-Chro's direction.

Finally, an impatient Tantibus forced her vines upward, making them physically assault Mo-Chro, then she made them bind the stallion and his rider, and began to pull them into the ground.

Lady grabbed LM's front legs and tried to pull him from the ground, while Bubblegum grabbed Gumball's arms and tried to pull him off Mo-Chro's back.

"Let them go!" PB shouted to Tantibus, relentlessly pulling on PG.

"Nice try." Tantibus quipped, her voice echoing loudly through the ground.

Tantibus sent a strong shockwave through the ground, launching Bubblegum and Lady skyward and allowing her to pull Gumball and Mo-Chro underground.

"No!" Bubblegum uttered, "Lady, new plan, help me round up the princesses!"

The Ooo princesses were injured, tired, and upset, for their men had just all been abducted by the new Nightmare Queen.

"Attention, gals!" PB called, "Is everyone okay?"

"No were not okay!" Lumpy Space Princess yelled, "That nightmare whore just jacked our boys!"

The other princesses started speaking out in displeasure all at once.

"Everyone calm down," Bubblegum offered, "we'll get them back!"

Princess Bubblegum then examined the group, and realized that two ladies were missing.

"Hey," she wondered, "where are Flame Princess and Water Princess?"

The princesses responded in confusion.

"I saw them go that way," Engagement Ring Princess announced, pointing in the direction they went, "with Flame Prince and Water Prince."

"Towards the ocean?" Bubblegum responded.

She knew Water Princess was drawn to the water when it needed her, and was sure Water Prince was the same.

Though she had no idea why either Flame Princess or Flame Prince would follow suit.

"I better look into this." Bubblegum said.

She and Lady then headed for the ocean.

Meanwhile, Flame Princess and Water Princes made it to the ocean, and found that Flame Prince and Water Princess were already there.

They were trying to get rid of a bunch of strange, mutant jelly fish creatures that were coming out of the water.

Flame Prince burned a lot of them, while Water Princess used her power to flood them away.

"Oh wow." Flame Princess said tensely.

"We need to do something." Water Prince said.

The jellyfish creatures came up out of the water and started throwing their tentacles around. Flame Prince stood in front of Water Princess to keep her safe.

They mutant jellyfish started projecting a weird liquid out of their mouths, making Flame Prince's flames weaken on contact.

Water Princess then pulled him away to keep him from getting any wetter.

"My turn." Flame Princess said, her flames swelling.

She then bolted across the shore to create a wall of fire to burn the mutant jellyfish.

Princess Bubblegum then came up on Lady Rainicorn to survey the scene.

"Oh, they're working together," Bubblegum murmured, "but why them?"

Flame Princess stopped, having killed all the mutant jellyfish.

"Whoo!" Flame Princess hollered.

"Oh, yay," Water Princess said, "the sea is rid of those awful creatures."

"Good work," Water Prince said, "Flame Princess."

"Oh, it wasn't so hard." Flame Princess said coyly.

Just then, the ocean water started rising over the dry land.

"Move away!" Flame Prince yelled, "Move away!"

They moved away from the shore as the water continued rising.

Suddenly, a large wave formed and rolled at the coast, Water Princess stood in front of Flame Prince to keep him from getting wet.

Water Prince flung Flame Princess away from the water, only to get caught by the wave himself.

"Flame Princess!" he cried as the wave pulled him into the sea.

"AHH!" Flame Princess squealed.

The ocean then became like a giant drain and began sucking down all the water and everything in it, including Water Prince.

"Water Prince! No!" Flame Princess shouted.

In an anxious frenzy, Flame Princess increased her size and jumped into the violent water.

"What the!? Flame Princess!?" Bubblegum responded in shock, seeing Flame Princess propel herself into the water, "No!"

"Flame Princess." Flame Prince uttered, stunned.

"Oh no," Water Princess voiced, "if she's down there too long she'll die out, but if she continues to burn she'll evaporate most of, if not the entire ocean."

"Should I go after her?" Flame Prince asked.

"No! I won't let you!" Water Princess affirmed, "Besides, it would only make the ocean evaporate faster."

Flame Princess, struggling to keep herself ablaze, raced down through the water, trying to reach Water Prince.

Her fiery frame was in pain so excruciating that, if not for her intense adrenaline rush, it would be utterly crippling.

Flame Princess felt her body recede as she reached for Water Prince, who was close to being pulled to the ocean floor.

Just as his back touched the ocean floor, Water Prince saw Flame Princess in front of him with her arm extended. Before he could grab onto her, Water Prince lost consciousness due to the lack of oxygen.

Once she had him, Flame Prince began to drag Water Prince back to the water's surface. By now, her body had reduced to its original form and was very weak, but she forced herself to keep going.

The others were still waiting on the shore with anticipation.

By this point, Water Princess had feared that Flame Princess had surely succumbed to the sea and Water Prince had been taken into the underworld.

Princess Bubblegum watched the sea intently, wanting to know the fate of her ally.

Just as they presumed her dead, Flame Princess finally reached the surface and pulled herself and an unconscious Water Prince ashore.

Flame Princess's had been so weakened by the water, her body was a very dark gray and her hair was black, smoke rolled off of her, giving her the appearance of extinguished charcoal.

Despite being very weak, Flame Princess held the fading Water Prince in her arms.

"...It's...not...a...lot," Flame Princess gasped, near death and struggling to breathe, "but...it's...enough...take my oxygen!"

Flame Princess inhaled what was surely her last breath, pressed her mouth to Water Prince's, and exhaled all the air she had left in her into his moist lungs. Then she dropped him on the sand.

Just as Flame Princess began to fade out, Water Prince opened his eyes and gasped.

Upon seeing this, Flame Princess was so excited, her body immediately rekindled, bringing her back from the edge of death.

"Water Prince!" Flame Princess uttered happily.

"Flame Princess!" Water Prince responded, equally happy.

They hugged, their skin sizzling on contact.

"You almost died doing that." Water Prince said in astonishment.

"Well you were worth the risk, my prince," Water Princess said, nuzzling her Water Prince, "you're _my _prince."

The others continued watching.

"How did she..." Water Princess voiced, wondering how Flame Princess was still alive.

"Miracle I guess." Flame Prince shrugged.

Bubblegum watched Flame Princess cuddle Water Prince.

It then made her think of her own prince.

"Tantibus got my PRINCE!" Bubblegum said furiously.

* * *

Oh wow, that chapter got long.

I'll try to get more of the Imagination Realm in the chapter.

If you don't get the pairings of Flame PrincexWater Princess/Flame PrincessxWater Prince, you'll have to read my fic "Forbidden Fondness".


	8. Chapter 8

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 8

Still going.

* * *

**~Aah~**

"Tantibus!" Princess Bubblegum called out, "Come out here! I wanna see you face to face!"

On cue, the new Nightmare Queen appeared on black and blue, draconic, equine creature, that was adorned in green metal, spiky armor. Tantibus herself was dressed in dark, more modern looking, royal attire.

"What do you want, Pink Blood?" Tantibus spoke.

"What do we...?" Bubblegum responded, "we want our men back!"

"Oh right," Tantibus replied, "the princes, yeah, they're not the most lively bunch."

"Tell us where they are!" Bubblegum cried.

"In my castle," Tantibus said, "but what are you gonna do? What can you do? You're a weak, powerless princess, who has no magic powers, and tanks at science! In short, you are utterly worthless, and you attempts to show otherwise are in vain. If you know what's good for you, you'll just give up now, and take your death with grace and willingness."

In vain Bubblegum glared intently at Tantibus, and in vain she tried to think of something bold to say in retaliation.

"No," was all PB could say, "I can't, I won't!"

"Eh, your problem, not mine," Tantibus replied, "your dead parents are most likely laughing at you in hell as we speak."

Then, Tantibus disappeared.

Bubblegum sat in silent rage upon Lady Rainicorn's back.

"What now?" Lady asked in Korean.

"We find a way up to that castle." Bubblegum said uncertainly.

**~Imagination Realm~**

"How much further do we have to go?" Marceline asked.

"I don't know," Fionna said, "all I know is we just gotta keep going up."

"It would be nice if we had a telescope." Finn said.

As if on cue, a telescope appeared out of nowhere.

"Whoa!" Finn responded, "This place is awesome."

"What do you see?" Fionna wondered.

Finn looked upward through the telescope.

"I see..." Finn said, looking around until he saw something, "oh, I think I see the castle foundation."

"How far away would you guess it is?" Fionna wondered.

"Four hundred, maybe five hundred feet tops." Finn stated.

"All right," Jake said, "stretchy time!"

Jake started stretching his body upward while everyone else hung on.

"This has gone rather smoothly," Fionna said, "we haven't run into anything unusual at all."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a large flying serpent flew overhead.

"What the!?" Fionna uttered.

"Oh," Cake spoke, "when you said that, I then thought that this place was boring and I wanted to see something cool."

"Just be careful," Fionna said, "think safe thoughts."

"Are we there yet?" Marshall Lee asked, speaking for the first time in several hours.

"Pretty close." Fionna replied.

After a while, Jake had stretched about as far as he could go without fully distorting his body.

"Can't. Go. Much. Further." Jake said.

Just then, another floating landmass appeared.

When everyone got on the new piece of solid land, Jake returned to his normal size.

"Sweet! I can see the castle from here!" Fionna said, pointing at the castle which was across from them.

"That's like a mile away." Marceline stated.

"We can make that," Fionna said, "right, Cake?"

"Duh, yeah!" Cake replied.

"So you can stretch fifty-two hundred eighty feet all by yourself?" Marshall Lee asked.

"Well I'm not gonna go all in one hit," Cake said, "we'll space it out, you know, stretch, think, stretch, think."

"Or, better yet, I could just use my Door Spell." Marshall Lee offered.

"What's that?" Fionna asked.

"It's an ability vampires get that allows them to open doorways to wherever they wanna go." Marshall explained.

"Cool," Finn replied, "but why did you use it earlier?"

"I didn't remember it until now," Marshall Lee replied blearily, "sleep deprivation can really throw off your brain."

"Yeah." Jake said.

"So let's go already." Finn said.

"Hey Marceline," Fionna requested hastily, "why don't you use the Door Spell?"

"I can't," Marceline said, "I don't have that ability yet."

"Of course you don't." Fionna groaned.

"I said I'd do it." Marshall Lee told her.

"But you've already done so much," Fionna said mindfully, "you need a break, Marshy."

"Oh hush," Marshall said, "let me do what I can do."

He rotated his hand, making a portal appear.

"Let's go." he said.

The went through the portal and found themselves just outside the Dream/Imagination Palace.

"Wow," Marceline said, "handy power, can't wait."

"Wow," Fionna stated, looking the golden palace doors up and down, "nice place."

They were ready to try to enter the castle when two large, winged unicorns appeared, one white, a male, and one blue, a female, both wearing silver armour.

"halt," the white Pegacorn ordered, "who are you that comes before this Sanctuary of Dreams?"

"Fionna the human," Fionna announced, "and friends."

"And for what purpose do you approach this palace?" the blue Pegacorn questioned.

"We need to talk to the Imagination Prince," Fionna affirmed, "it's an emergency."

"No one enters without a thorough scanning." the white Pegacorn attested.

"We'll scan your souls," the blue Pegacorn informed, "and if we find that any of you are here with malicious intent, you will be forced away."

"We suggest that you all stand completely still," the white Pegacorn insisted, "that means, on the ground floating ones."

Marceline put her feet to the ground.

Marshall Lee came to the ground as well, but faltered as he stood on his feet. Fionna put her arm around his waist to keep him still.

"Here we go." the blue Pegacorn said.

A beam of white light emitted from the white Pegacorn's horn, and a blue one from the blur Pegacorn's horn.

Together, the Pegacorns scanned all six of the young visitors before them.

"Looks like you're all on the side of our prince." the white Pegacorn said.

"We'll take you to him now." the blue Pegacorn added.

The Pegacorns opened the palace doors and everyone walked inside.

"Is everyone okay?" Fionna asked.

"Fine, just tingly." Finn said.

"How are you, Marshy?" Fionna asked.

"I'm fine." Marshall huffed.

"Just asking." Fionna said.

"Honest to all Gods," the Vampire King asserted, "that ma hen(mother hen) stuff had better stop, or I'm outta here!"

"Well then." Fionna muttered.

* * *

I refer to the winged-unicorns as Pegacorns because I did not wanna keep calling them "Winged-Unicorns". They've been called Alicorns, but I think Alicorn is just what they call the substance their horn either makes or is made of, I don't think that's the actual name of the horse itself. But I could be wrong.

Also, if this were an episode, the blue Pegacorn I would definitely want the horse to be voiced by Roz Ryan(Cake's voice actress, who also voiced Bubby from the Misadventures of Flapjack).

Next they'll meet the Imagination/Dream Prince.


	9. Chapter 9

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 9

Readers, Malicia's son, Tantibus's brother, the Imagination/Dream Prince.

* * *

**~Imagination/Dream Prince's Palace~**

The Dream Prince's Pegacorns led Fionna and co. into the Castle in the Sky.

Fionna had Marshall Lee at her right side and Cake at her left.

"Our Prince is all-knowing," the white Pegacorn said, "so odds are he's already well aware of your arrival."

"Cool." Fionna said.

The Pegacorns brought the team into the throne room, which was filled with remarkable beings of all different shapes, sizes, and colors, all looking on with great curiosity.

high upon a throne of platinum and multicolored quartz sat the _second _most beautiful looking guy Fionna had ever seen, second, as the _most _beautiful looking guy she knew was already at her right side.

The prince looked down at them with genuine interest.

"Your elegance," the blue Pegacorn spoke, "you have callers."

"I have eyes, Ceruleanna," the Dream Prince replied, "I can see, I've been waiting for them."

"Told ya." the white Pegacorn said.

"Hush, Angel." Dream Prince told the winged equine.

The Pegacorns were dismissed.

"Forgive my Pegacorns for being so nosy," the prince said, "they seem to forget that I can sense danger from miles away."

The Dream Prince descended from his throne using his large, neon-green angel wings. His eyes were silver, his skin was porcelain white, and he had metallic-gold hair.

"So you're the Imagination Prince?" Fionna asked, "Also called, Dream Prince?"

"It'll make the whole thing easier if you just call me Etherean." the fair prince advised.

Fionna opened her mouth to speak, only for the Dream Prince to cut her off.

"I know why you're here and I know what you need." Etherean said.

"Oh, right." Fionna replied, "Yeah, your mom said you knew how to stop your sister."

"True," Etherean said solemnly, "I do know how to control the Nightmare Bringer's daughter."

Fionna looked on strangely.

"I have no mother or sister," Etherean voiced, "a dad, absolutely, but that's it."

"Wow," Fionna said, "broken family."

"Family?" Prince Etherean replied, "That's a word I haven't used in a _long _time. It has no real meaning anyway."

"Well I wouldn't say that." Fionna responded awkwardly.

"Family is just a word," Etherean said, "what it's used to describe is spawned from nature, but it's not a necessity."

Fionna was not sure how to respond.

"In normal instances, families tend to...you know...love each other." the human girl said.

"The ones that want to;" Etherean expressed bluntly, "really, I may be the prince of dreams and imagining, but I do know something about reality, and here's the reality...love is all an illusion created by the mind, it's just a man-made word to describe a trivial part of nature."

"Wha?" Fionna replied meekly.

"Think, people _choose _to "love" those that do them right and _choose _to hate those who do them wrong," Etherean said, "family or not, you do not _have _to love someone, or anyone, it all depends on how one views another."

"That's true," Marceline said, "like, the Lord of Evil may be my dad, but that don't stop me from hating him."

"I thought you guys worked it out." Finn replied.

"You bought that?" Marceline said, "There's no force in this universe that will make me care for him, he is _dead _to me."

"That doesn't seem right." Finn responded solemnly.

"Don't judge," Etherean said, "she has the right to feel how she feels, as do I. I loathe Tantibus with every ounce of hate I contain, and I cannot and will not forgive Queen..._Malicia _for her actions. She's not even my mother anyway."

"But she said..." Fionna tried to say.

"_My _mother was _Empyrielle_, the Dream Queen!" Etherean said austerely.

Fionna looked on in awe.

"I remember hearing that name," Fionna said, "but why did she change her name."

"She changed more than her name," Etherean enlightened, "before she was the abomination you contended with, she was the kindest, gentlest, most protective being known in existence. The daughter of the Illusion King and Imagery Queen, she was a protectress of dreams, she induced only the most pleasant dreams she could muster for people to have. That Nightmare Queendom that you have had to withstand was originally the Utopia Kingdom, a paradise among the living world which my mother ruled over."

"So what happened?" Finn asked.

"I'm pretty sure he was getting to that." Fionna retorted.

"_Anyway,_" Etherean continued, "the whole thing was jeopardized when a blight by the name of Tantibus was born. Because she was the first-born, and at that time an only child, she was entitled to the throne of Utopia Kingdom. Naturally, my parents feared the worst, because right from the start, Tantibus was already making plans for when she took the throne, she was ready to turn the Utopia Kingdom into the opposite of what it was."

The others continued listening intently.

"Tantibus _hated _the fact my parents were such kind and gentle rulers," Etherean said, "she felt that monarchs should be frightful and menacing, that they should be respected through fear and not love. In an effort to impede Tantibus, my parents had another child, yours truly, and because I was the opposite of her, they decided that I would take over instead. Of course, Tantibus was not about to let that happen, so she decided to retaliate; seeing my mother as the ultimate weakling, she tricked Mom into turning evil. Tantibus convinced her that people would appreciate her gifts of good dreams far more if she would make them have nightmares every once in a while, and for some reason that to this day I cannot comprehend, she believed her. So Ma started dealing out all these horrible dreams, and she noticed that the more bad dreams she created the stronger she got, when the power of nightmares had her in its wicked grasp, it was not long until she was corrupted inside and out. Empyrielle the Dream Queen that everyone had adored for so long was gone, and Malicia the Nightmare Queen was born, and began doing all that Tantibus had planned. It was not long before everyone forgot about Tantibus, their antipathy now being with the Nightmare Queen."

"Your dad couldn't have done something?" Fionna wondered.

"It's not like he didn't try, but the man feared for his life;" Etherean said, "I ran away to make this realm, I wanted to make sure that good dreams stayed alive. No one, not even my dad, the King of Miracles, had a chance against the Nightmare Queen. I can't even begin to imagine the devastation and misery that was brought upon him, the one and only love of his life turned into psychotic power addict, but he did what he had to do, he just couldn't stay. He has his own separate kingdom now, and he and make contact every once in a while. In all reality we have to be the most broken up...ugh..."family" to ever exist."

"That is..." Fionna responded, "that is _messed up_."

Etherean nodded.

"So...will you help take down Tantibus?" Fionna asked.

"Um...duh." Etherean stated.

"Oh, cool." Fionna said.

"Hang on," Etherean said, "I'm gonna recruit some godly allies."

"Yes!" Fionna responded excitedly, "Guys, we have an army building up!"

* * *

Maybe sometime after I finish this I will do a story about the Dream Queen in her early days, and the events leading up to her becoming the Nightmare Queen.


	10. Chapter 10

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 10

Still going.

Tantibus amuses herself by torturing her royal prisoners in the worst way she can come up with.

* * *

**~Aaa/Tantibus's Castle~**

While the princesses, led by Princess Bubblegum and Lady Rainicorn, were trying desperately to reach Tantibus's palace, the captured princes were all confined to specific prison cells, each that tortured them in some way.

The cell Slime Prince was in constantly changed temperature, it would go from so cold it nearly froze him solid to so hot it would nearly boil him.

The cell Engagement Ring Prince was in had sprinklers on the ceiling, which would release showers of sulfuric acid every time her moved.

Breakfast Prince and Toast Prince were in a cell with metal spikes in the wall that would electrocute them every ten minutes.

Meanwhile, Prince Gumball was in an entirely different cell.

After being unconscious for sometime, PG finally came to.

He found himself in a dark cell, and there was a mysterious, magic chain around his neck. In front of him he saw Lord Monochromicorn lying on the ground.

"Mo-Chro!" Gumball called.

Mo-Chro looked up and got to his feet.

"Master!" he said in morse code.

LM tried to rush to his master, however, he also had a magic chain around his neck. When the chain was fully strained, somehow, Gumball was pulled backwards, getting choked.

The two then realized that the chains around their necks were somehow connected, and when one went too far, the other would get choked, and if they stayed like that for too long, one of them would die by strangulation. So, they had no choice but to stay away from each other.

This was hard, because always, during times of hardship, they would huddle together for warmth, safety, and comfort. But now, at the time where they required it the most, they had to remain separated or risk harming and/or killing one or the other.

the furthest they could go without choking each other left them just out of each others reach.

"Oh Mo-Chro," Gumball solemnly, "what are we gonna do now?"

Lord Monochromicorn paced and circled anxiously, not being able to reach or protect his person loft him troubled and uneasy.

Tantibus, who was currently watching everything from her throne room, decided to make it more entertaining for herself.

She picked up a small control panel.

"Let's see," she quipped, "what will happen when I kill the lights?"

She flipped a switch on the control panel, which turned out the lighting in PG and Mo-Chro's cell, leaving it so dark they could not even see each other.

"Mo-Chro!?" Gumball called, reaching around blindly in the dark.

The frantic Monochromicorn started panicking, unable to see the candy prince. Mo-Chro jumped around, throwing his neck back and forth, and twisting every which way, unaware that he was inadvertently strangling his master.

PG tried desperately to call out to Lord Monochromicorn, but the chain around his throat was so tight he could barely exhale. In an effort to communicate with his companion he stood up and stomped his foot on the ground as hard as he could, begging the stallion, in morse code, to stop moving around.

Mo-Chro heard this, and stopped moving, just as the prince was about to pass out.

Tantibus, still able to see in the cell through the night vision mode on her security camera, turned the lights back on.

When the lights came back on, Mo-Chro saw Gumball on all fours gasping for air, the color slowly coming back to his pink skin.

LM neighed remorsefully.

"Master." Mo-Chro said in morse code.

"It's okay," Gumball wheezed, "I'm okay."

Lord Monochromicorn laid on the ground, deciding that he would not move anymore, wanting to avoid nearly choking his friend to death again.

Tantibus, who was still watching, was laughing amusedly and clapping.

"Ah ha ha ha," she giggled, "I love watching weak mortals suffer! Torture is so much fun!"

* * *

Big difference between Tantibus and Malicia/Empyrielle, besides the obvious, Malicia tortured and caused suffering for a reason, Tantibus, whether she has a reason or not, causes pain and suffering for her own amusement, she ain't hungry, she's just vicious as hell.


	11. Chapter 11

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 11

More stuff happening.

* * *

Fionna joined Etherean as he powered up his large Contact Crystal, a magical device used to summon other beings.

"Does every divine being have one of these?" Fionna asked.

"The ones that I know of do." Etherean answered.

He tapped a group of smaller crystals at the bottom of the larger one, then proceeded to twist the biggest one clockwise.

"One, two, three, four..." the Dream Prince mumbled, twisting the crystal slowly.

Just then, the image of Death himself appeared.

"What's up, DP?" Death answered.

"Hey, Death," Etherean said, "You feel like taking down a threat greater than you?"

"Who is it?" the skeleton man asked.

"Tantibus." Etherean stated with contempt.

"Agh!" Death groaned hatefully, "I hate that slut!"

"Who doesn't?" Etherean replied, "You in?"

"Definitely." Death said.

"Great," Etherean said, "be at my castle as soon as possible."

Fionna watched as Etherean turned the small crystal again.

After that, he summoned the Cosmic Owl, Grand Master Wizard, and Grob Gob Glob Grod.

"Hmm..." Etherean thought, "who else?"

"What about the Party God?" Jake suggested, "He's got powers."

"Eh...I don't really enjoy his presence." the Dream Prince said.

"You said we need all the help we can get." Jake replied.

"All right..." Etherean sighed.

He reluctantly summoned the Party God, and then Dimension Wizard.

"You know," Fionna offered, "maybe you should just send for every wizard that is willing to help. Summon everyone in your contacts that would be useful!"

"Got it." Etherean said, proceeding to run through his contacts.

Just then his Crystal turned blood-red.

"Oh...damn." Etherean growled, knowing who it was.

The image of a smug looking Tantibus appeared.

"S'up, little brother?" she spoke coolly, using his least favorite label. He loathed hearing her refer to him as her younger brother, he hated any reminder that he was blood related to her.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Etherean shouted, then calmly, but irately, questioned, "What do you want?"

"Well for start, the mortal world has eighty-seven hours left." Tantibus stated.

"Eighty-seven hours!?" Fionna responded, "But this trip barely took a day."

"It only seemed like that because time moves differently here," Etherean explained, "a few hours here, would actually be several hours, or possibly days in your mortal world."

"Anyway..." Tantibus continued, "I imagine you're already in the middle of concocting some little tactic to counter my work. Just thought I'd let you know, I'm not going to try to stop you, because that would be a waste of power and energy, like killing a little fly with a toothpick, needless."

"Get to the point," Etherean prompted irritatedly, "you fallen sex glutton!"

"The point here, little one," Tantibus said, "is that...I'm ready when you are."

"Well that's good to know," Etherean responded dryly, "now leave me alone."

"I'll just be waiting for you..." Tantibus said, once again dishing out Etherean's least favorite title, "_baby brother_."

"GET OFF MAH CRYSTAL!" Etherean yelled angrily, and he slammed his fist down on the smaller crystals beneath the big one, cutting off the connection.

Fionna looked on, bewildered.

Etherean inhaled deeply, "So where was I?" he asked plainly.

"Um...recruiting help." Fionna said.

"Right," Etherean replied, going back to his contacts, "moving on."

"Quick question, and it's probably nothing," Fionna questioned, "but, why did you call her "sex glutton"?"

"Because she's a major whore," Etherean informed, "she'll have sex with any humanoid man _or_ men she has access to, and whether they want it or not, if she wants it, it's gonna happen. I've seen what she does out there."

"I'm guessing the Nightmare Queen was like that." Fionna said.

"Not entirely, but I'm not about to elaborate on that." Etherean stated.

"Oh Grod," Fionna said, "I hope Tantibus doesn't take hold of any guys we know."

The Dream Prince paused.

"Uh..." Etherean replied awkwardly.

"Oh...crap." Fionna said tensely.

* * *

I think readers can imagine what's gonna happen next.

Also, probably to good to point this out, Tantibus DID NOT violate her brother, because that's just sick, and I would never go that low.


	12. Chapter 12

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 12

Still going.

* * *

**~Tantibus's Castle~**

After many hours of sitting on her handmade throne, Tantibus had become bored, and hungry, but not entirely for food.

The self-appointed Nightmare Queen wandered down to her dungeon, where she found her male prisoners trying desperately to fall asleep.

Tantibus surveyed her captives to identify which ones were the most interesting.

The princes watched with tense curiosity as Tantibus wrapped strands of dark green tape on the door of the cells containing the most humanoid princes, including Engagement Ring Prince, Breakfast Prince and Jungle Prince. Why, she did not say, but they knew that whatever she was planning was not good at all.

When Tantibus got to the cell of Prince Gumball and Lord Monochromicorn, instead of putting green tape on the cell door, she attached a strand of blood-red tape, indicating that whatever she intended to do to them would be different than what she would do to the other ones she had marked.

"Oh, this is going to be _soooo _much fun." Tantibus snickered.

The Nightmare Sovereign then rounded the princes in every cell she marked with green tape.

An hour later she returned to Gumball and Mo-Chro's cell.

She opened the door to the cell, the lights were still off, which allowed her to go unnoticed.

Tantibus used her magic to create an invisible wall between PG and Mo-Chro, then unconnected their chains.

Gumball could suddenly feel that something was amiss.

"Mo-Chro?" Gumball spoke tensely.

Lord Monochromicorn neighed frantically.

They both tried to move towards each other again, and though they did not choke each other, they still could not reach one another, due to the invisible wall.

Tantibus then grabbed Gumball from behind and pulled him away from the wall.

LM heard his master yell and moved around wildly, trying to break his chains and break through the wall in front of him. Even his powers did nothing.

Tantibus held Gumball against the ground with her powers.

"Hmm..." the new Nightmare Queen voiced, "you have little to know physical strength, but I can see you are very smart."

Gumball struggled as Tantibus continued to hold him down.

"Tell me, Princey," Tantibus asked, "can you tell what I'm gonna do next?"

"I don't wanna know!" Gumball yelled, squirming frantically, "I don't wanna know!"

"Too bad." Tantibus quipped.

She licked her finger, ran it down the side of Gumball's face, then sucked it clean.

"Mmm..." Tantibus said contently, "you're _sweet_."

She released her hold on him, then forced him up.

"Come with me," Tantibus said, "like you have a choice."

She transported herself and the prince to another room.

"Do turn around." Tantibus instructed.

Prince Gumball hesitantly turned around to face a horrific sight.

All of the princes Tantibus had selected were bound, half conscious, to the wall by a large mess of tangled, thorny vines.

"My friends!" PG gasped, "But, where are the rest?"

"Over there." Tantibus stated, pointing to the west wall.

The west wall gave way and revealed the remaining princes, also half conscious, trapped in a cage, surrounded by tesla coils.

Gumball looked remorsefully at his doomed friends.

He noticed Breakfast Prince was starting to come to.

"BP?" Gumball voiced tensely.

"Do what she says," Breakfast Prince groaned desperately, "for the love of everything, give her whatever she wants."

Tantibus leaned in close to Gumball.

"Here's the deal," Tantibus spoke quietly, directly into Gumball's ear, "do what I say, or you will watch as I mercilessly defile the humanoid princes, then execute the rest, via electrocution."

"Okay!" Gumball answered spontaneously, without any second thought.

"Very good," Tantibus replied, "such a loyal being."

The savage girl returned all the other princes to their cells, via magic.

"And now, my saccharine one," Tantibus informed, "you work for me now."

She focused her dark magic on Prince Gumball.

When Gumball felt the nightmarish energy come upon him, he fell to the ground hard.

PG cried out in anguish, writhing as the dark power overtook his body, resulting in an agonizing transformation, inside and out.

Tantibus watched with satisfaction, listening contently as Gumball's cries of pain turned into savage growls.

"Ha ha," Tantibus snickered coolly, "win."

**~Etherean's Castle~**

After waiting for several hours, every being summoned by Dream Prince had arrived at the castle.

"Death?" Etherean called.

"Here." the skeleton man answered.

"Cosmic Owl?" Etherean called.

The Cosmic Owl responded by nodding.

"Quadruple G?" Etherean called.

The four faces of Grob, Gob, Glob, Grod responded one at a time.

"Grand Master Wizard?" Etherean called.

"Here!" GMW responded.

"Ugh...Party God?" Etherean asked unenthusiastically.

"Ah yeah, right here!" the Party God responded loudly, following it with a howl.

"Oy...Dad give me strength." Etherean groaned, "Let's just move on to strategizing."

"I contacted every wizard on our side who are ready to fight whenever." GMW announced.

"You know what might be a good idea?" Etherean suggested, "You should call Huntress Wizard over now."

"But it's not time..." GMW replied.

"Seriously," Etherean ordered, "call her over..._now_."

"Whatever you say." Grand Master Wizard said.

"Sweet." Etherean responded gladly.

"Why do we need Huntress Wizard_ right_ now?" Fionna asked.

"Well...she uh...she's can...she's really...we just do, trust me, I...we just...do."

"All right then." Fionna replied.

She looked at the others.

"So how is everyone?" she asked uncertainly.

"Are you sure we can really take on Tantibus and her creatures?" Finn wondered.

"I swear to all deities," Fionna asserted, "if you start with the negativity, I _will_ assault you!"

"Fine," Finn responded, "I'll take that as a yes."

Fionna still slapped him in the face.

"Ow!" Finn responded, "Why'd you do that?"

"I just felt like hitting someone." Fionna stated.

She then turned to Marshall Lee, who looked more out of it than before.

"Marshall. Marshall Lee." Fionna spoke to the faint vampire, "Marshy?"

When she still could not get his attention, Fionna anxiously grabbed the Vampire King by his shoulders and proceeded to shake him.

"Hey! Hey!," Fionna uttered, "Marshall, wake up! Back to the material plain!"

Marshall Lee finally became alert again, and looked at her.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I didn't hear a word you just said."

"Are you okay?" Fionna asked.

"Yeah, why?" Marshall Lee replied.

"You're looking fainter by the minute." Fionna stated.

"I'm fine," he said, "it's just hard trying to stay awake."

"Right," Fionna said, "just please, don't do anything, unless you have too, unless you really _really _have too."

"Whatever." Marshall sighed frailly.

Fionna looked on concernedly and hugged him around his ribs.

* * *

More stuff coming up.


	13. Chapter 13

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 16

More stuff going on.

* * *

After so many hours of fighting off Tantibus's corrupted landscape, Princess Bubblegum and Lady Rainicorn finally made it to Tantibus's stronghold.

"We will take care of things out here!" Flame Princess called, as Bubblegum and Lady made it up to the castle.

"Careful now, Lady," Bubblegum advised, "you never know what we'll find in there."

Suddenly, the castle door opened, and a strong gust of air forcibly pulled them into the fort.

"Okay, what now?" PB groaned.

"Impressive," Tantibus called, Bubblegum looked up and saw Tantibus sitting on her throne, "I can't believe you even made it this far."

"Well of course I did," Bubblegum retorted, "I said I would!"

"Yes, yes you did." Tantibus replied casually.

"Now, where are the princes?" Bubblegum demanded, "Where's my Gumball!?"

"Oh you'll find out," Tantibus said coolly, "as soon as you defeat my...new pet."

The new Nightmare Queen pulled on a low hanging chain, which opened a large trap door in the ground. Immediately, a massive serpent rose up out of the opening in the floor, its skin was a deep indigo color and its eyes glowed purple.

Bubblegum held up her chainsaw and powered it up.

"Bring it!" she yelled, "Charge, Lady!"

On command, Lady Rainicorn charged at the serpent, while Bubblegum swung her chainsaw, lacerating the monster repeatedly.

The serpent hissed and shrieked as it tried to attack Bubblegum. It lunged once and tore Bubblegum's hoodie, then PB retaliated by swinging chainsaw, leaving a large gash in the monster's chest.

It was then the monster shrieked loudly in pain, then fell to the ground heavily wounded and bleeding pink ooze.

"Yes!" Bubblegum proclaimed triumphantly, "Take that, Tantibus, I won!"

"Did you really?" Tantibus replied smugly, "Look again."

Confused, PB looked again at the monster she had just defeated. As the monster lay huffing weakly on the ground it started to shrink, and its soft growls turned into weak, humanoid moans.

"What the?" Bubblegum responded, as the monster returned to its original form.

To PB's horror, she found that the "beast" she had just battered was in fact Prince Gumball, whom was released from a corrupted state, but was also now dying on the ground from chainsaw wounds.

"BUBBA!?" Bubblegum uttered, dropping her bloody chainsaw.

"Ha! I knew it, neither of you recognized each other," Tantibus proclaimed, "so much for "love"."

"Belzy?" Gumball called weakly.

Bubblegum ran to her prince and pulled him closer.

"Bubzy, I'm sorry," PB said placidly remorseful(I'm not 100% sure if that makes sense), "I didn't know it was you."

"That's okay," Gumball groaned, "under her spell, I couldn't recognize _you_."

Tantibus cackled wildly.

"You sick, sadistic hellion!" Bubblegum shouted, "You are going to die!"

"None of you could kill my mother," Tantibus expressed, "if Fionna couldn't destroy that weak insect, what makes you think anyone could do _me _in?"

Bubblegum glared at her.

"See ya." Tantibus stated, vanishing.

"Ugh...loathsome Nightmare Whore." PB groaned.

Suddenly, Gumball grabbed her arm. She looked down, and to her surprise, found the prince miraculously, though mysteriously, healed.

"What? You're all better, but how?" Bubblegum voiced puzzledly.

"I don't know," Gumball said, standing up, "my wounds just...went away."

"Well, let's just get the other princes and go." PB stated.

"Why did she just leave us to escape?" Gumball wondered.

"Who cares why," Bubblegum said in return, "lets just go."

They first freed Lord Monochromicorn, who immediately encircled his master.

"Aw, I missed you too, Mo-Chro." Gumball affirmed.

"Alrighty, let's move!" Bubblegum said.

* * *

The gang has an ally they have yet to even meet helping them.


	14. Chapter 14

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 14

Still going.

* * *

Tantibus walked across the clouds, looking down at the land, placidly watching as her creations destroyed the Material Plain.

"Oh, soon it'll all be mine!" Tantibus proclaimed, thunder booming with her voice.

Suddenly, a stray bolt of lightning came out of her, missing her by only three inches, indicating that it was a warning shot.

Tantibus smirked and looked skyward.

"Hmm," she responded, "nice try, Pops, but it's gonna take more than that to stop me."

"Tantibus," a male voice replied, "you know you can't win, if I can't stop you, Etherean will."

"Oy, Etherean, Etherean, Etherean," Tantibus groaned, "just because he's the favorite doesn't mean he's any match for me."

"It has nothing to do with the fact that he is the favorite," the voice said in return, "it's the fact that he has the advantage over you, he has powerful allies."

"Well so do I," Tantibus voiced, "and be prepared _daddy_, by the time I'm done here, nobody will remember you either!"

"You'll be sorry." was the last thing the male voice said before disappearing completely.

"Whatever!" Tantibus cried, "I will not lose! The Material Plain will be mine! And I will not lost to Etherean again!"

**~Meanwhile~**

The Dream Prince started sending some of his creatures down to the Material Plain to see just what they were dealing with.

At that same time, Etherean was fraternizing with Huntress Wizard.

"So, you really don't need a bow for those arrows?" Etherean asked.

"Nope." Huntress Wizard replied, levitating one of her arrows on her hand.

"Sweeeet." the Dream Prince sighed.

Fionna came over and tugged on his coat.

"Dream Prince," Fionna questioned, "how are we going to do this?"

Etherean sent Huntress Wizard away.

"From what my pets have shown me, Tantibus has dealt quite a bit of damage to the Material Plain," Etherean explained, "the biggest problem is that she has the mortals scared and unhappy, if I'm going to have any chance against Tantibus, we need to turn that around."

Fionna thought about it.

"Okay, that may be a bit of a challenge," Fionna said, "however, I do have an idea."

"I'm all ears." Etherean replied.

"Is there any way you can bring everyone from the Material Plain to one place?" Fionna asked.

"Everyone?" Dream Prince answered, "I don't know, that would take some careful situating."

"How about everyone on Ooo and Aaa?" Fionna asked.

"That might be do-able," Etherean replied, "but why?"

"If we can get people away from the scary and incite some comfort and courage, maybe that will broaden your advantage."

"It makes sense," Dream Prince said, "I'll see what I can do."

While they were talking, the others were busy with each other.

Marceline was talking to Finn and Jake, while Marshall Lee just stood by, half asleep, he hovered lazily off the ground

Suddenly, he found himself in an all black setting and he started hearing the voice of Miss Tantibus.

"_Marshall Lee, forget about these mortal shells, come to my side." _Tantibus urged in his mind.

"No, I'd rather not." Marshall Lee responded flippantly.

"_Come on, I'm way better than my mother, I'm hotter, stronger, and far more devious." _Tantibus insisted.

"No," Marshall groaned, "no, no, no, no, no..."

He then felt something touching his face, and realized that he was asleep.

Marshall opened his eyes and found Cake patting him in the face wither paws.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up." Cake said.

"I'm awake!" Marshall gasped.

Only now that he was awake, he found that his body felt heavier as he floated above the ground.

Despite the strongest urge to just let go and fall to the ground, Marshall Lee tried to force himself awake again.

Of course, it would have been easier for him, had he not felt like he had just been stabbed in the gut.

* * *

More to come.

I realize it is kinda slow right now, but all the biggest action scene will be at the end of the story.


	15. Chapter 15

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 15

Here we go.

* * *

As Etherean was gathering up his own allies, Tantibus was collecting her own as well.

She went to the Nightmare Realm and forcibly gathered up and revived the former followers of her mother.

The only ones she was unable to find were Glacia, Bronta, and Botania.

Tantibus brought the Nightmare subjects before her mother's old castle.

She went inside the castle and found her mother still chained where she had left her.

Without saying a word, Tantibus unchained her weakened mother and dragged her outside in front of her former minions.

"Attention all beings of the negative imagination," Tantibus announce, "your new queen has an announcement."

The creatures listened closely.

"The time has come to do what we've been hoping to do for millenniums now," Tantibus proclaimed, "to take the Material Plain, and turn it into the greatest hell the mortals have ever seen."

"You'll never get it done, Tantibus." Malicia said weakly.

Tantibus looked at her then back at the Nightmare people.

"Like I said," Tantibus told them, "where your former queen failed, I will succeed, because I am not weak, and I am _true _evil, not just corrupted."

"What about Fionna?" Arachnidine, Queen of the spiders, asked.

"She will die along with any other opposers." Tantibus answered.

"What about Marsssshall Lee?" T'nepres wondered.

"He'll be on my side before we know it." Tantibus said surely.

"You are the worst mistake I've ever made." Malicia heaved.

Tantibus sneered at her mother, and grabbed her by her hair.

"And to show that I mean business," Tantibus affirmed, lifting Malicia to her knees by her hair, "I say out with the old and in with the new."

With that Tantibus viciously bit down on her mother's neck.

"Aygh!" Malicia shrieked.

Tantibus violently tore a massive chunk from Malicia's neck, allowing her silvery blood to pour out. Tantibus laughed hysterically and began to lap up her mother's blood, gaining more power with every taste.

"WAAAAHH! AHHAHHH! AHH! Aaaahhh! Ahh!" Malicia screamed in agony, getting weaker and weaker.

But of course Tantibus did not stop there, she than held her dying mother down and savagely began to eat away at her flesh, which could not be penetrated by anything else.

Tantibus stood up cackling maniacally as she savored her mother's blood and flesh.

"I am Tantibus, Queen of the Nightmares," Tantibus cried, her mouth covered with the blood of the former NIghtmare Queen, "and by my own name, I will become the mortal's supreme deity!"

The Nightmare subjects rejoiced at the proclamation of their new, younger, stronger, queen.

* * *

I feel that this story is not dark enough, so I tried writing a darker chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

Dreams vs Nightmares

Chapter 16

Moving on.

* * *

Down on Aaa, there were only forty-three hours left before the Material Plain would be completely bled of life.

The royals were still trying desperately to protect the Material Plain from Tantibus's horrible creations.

Flame Princess sent a wave of fire out to scorch the demonic vegetation.

But once again, the hazards reappeared as quickly as they vanished.

"Ugh! Nothing works!" Flame Princess growled.

"Just keep going!" Princess Bubblegum urged, "That's all we can do is just keep going!"

With one quick slash, she severed the head of an oncoming demonic creature.

Prince Gumball kept striking at all the miscreations that he could reach with his axe.

However, right in the middle of the fight, the atmosphere suddenly changed around him.

Everything went black, and he heard the voice of Tantibus.

"Bubba..." Tantibus said, her voice taunting and distorted, "remember this game, remember my place, remember my name, and remember my face."

Over and over the phrase repeated in Gumball's mind.

"W-what does that mean?" he murmured tensely.

PG was not paying attention, and suddenly he was struck down by a demonic skeleton creature.

While the prince lay dazed on the ground, the monster prepared to deliver a killing strike.

Fortunately, Bubblegum saw this.

"Nahh! Bubba!" she uttered.

PB ran in front of Gumball with her chainsaw and with one upward strike, she bisected the skeletal monster.

Gumball stood up and regained his awareness.

"I'm okay," he said falteringly, "I just...went crazy for like one second."

Tantibus was watching the scene from her cloud chair.

"Who needs television when you can have self-induced chaos!" she expressed blissfully.

All of a suddenly, a huge ball of glittering light fell from the sky and exploding, taking out a number of Tantibus's creatures.

"What the!?" Tantibus responded.

Another exploding ball of light plunged down from the heavens.

"Ah!" Tantibus growled, "Little brother."

Tantibus looked skyward.

"Is that all you got, Dream Boy!?" she called out.

As more exploding light orbs came down on Tantibus's monsters, Tantibus tried to fight back, by filling the sky with blood-red lightning and making sulfuric acid rain down from the black clouds.

"Okay," Bubblegum said, "into the forest guys, let's go!"

**~Imagination Realm~**

In Dream Prince's castle, Fionna and Etherean were watching the scene on the Material Plain through his large viewing crystal.

Etherean was quite pleased with watching his sister freak out, trying to fight his defenses.

"Wow," Fionna said, "she is mad crazy."

"It doesn't take a genius to see that." Etherean replied.

"How's the deal with getting the people from Ooo and Aaa here?" Fionna asked.

"Let's see." the Dream Prince said.

He checked the worm hole he set up outside that was bringing the mortals from Ooo and Aaa to the Imagination Realm.

"It's going swell." Etherean stated.

"Good...good." Fionna said.

* * *

I'm hoping somebody caught the foreshadowing of upcoming events in this chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 17

Going on.

* * *

In the darkness of the Spirit Realm, Malicia, now a disembodied spirit after her daughter had savaged devoured her body, clawed her way through looking for a way back to the Material Plain, for she wanted to see which of her children would succeed in the battle between Dreams and Nightmares.

"Must get back," she huffed, without a voice, "must get back to the Living World."

All around her, spirits swarmed every which way.

Suddenly, one bird-like spirit looked at her, and recognized her.

"Hey," she said, "you're the Nightmare Queen."

"Huh?" Malicia responded, confused, "not anymore, who are you now?"

"Don't you remember?" the Avian spirit affirmed, "I was Avianna, Queen of all Avian life, that is until you turned me into a freakish monster, and made me the embodiment of Ornithophobia, the fear of birds!"

Malicia cringed as the spirit she now recognized got closer.

She tried crawling away, only to run into another familiar female spirit, which resembled a monstrous, humanoid bat.

"And I was Sucorina!" the bat spirit proclaimed, "Queen of the bats, then you made me the embodiment of Chiroptophobia, the fear of bats!"

More and more familiar, vengeful spirits approached her.

"You destroyed us!" Avianna cried, "And now we're gonna make you pay!"

"Get her!" Sucorina shouted.

The spirits jumped her and started pummeling her.

"AHH!" Malicia cried, "Stop it! Stop it! It wasn't my fault!"

"We lost our bodies because of you!" a spirit yelled, dive bombing her into the ground.

"_I have to get out of here_!" she thought frantically.

She closed her eyes to concentrate.

"Come on," she grunted, trying intently to focus her thoughts, "come on."

**~Imagination Realm~**

As Fionna counted the amount of people being pulled in from the Material Plain, Etherean was sending more attacks against his wicked sister to weaken her hold on the mortal world.

The rest were watching on the giant viewing crystal.

Down on Ooo and Aaa, Etherean and Tantibus's creatures were fighting hard, tearing each other apart, their blood flying everywhere.

"Wow," Finn said solemnly, "it's getting rough."

Marceline pulled him close to make him stop watching.

"It's like a horrific nightmare." Cake said.

"It _is _a nightmare." Marshall Lee said in return.

They continued watching, then once again Marshall started to feel odd.

The atmosphere changed around him again, but this time instead of hearing the voice of Tantibus, he heard the voice of the former Nightmare Queen.

"_Marshall, Marshall Lee_," Malicia said firmly in his mind, "_it's me, remember? Remember_!"

The Vampire King repressed his discomfort so no one would catch on.

"_I remember you_," Malicia said, her voice echoing in his head, "_I remember every instance with you, and I know you remember too_."

She forced him to remember what she remembered, and he could feel the sensation of her frigid, stone-solid hands touching him all over. He could feel her ice-cold tongue on his neck.

Again, Marshall Lee refused to show discomfort, even as the memory of the physical pain was forced back into him.

Soon the pain stopped.

"_Thank you for your help, Marshall Lee_." Malicia said cryptically, before her voice disappeared.

He heard someone else saying his name.

Everything went back to normal, and Marshall Lee awoke to Cake's paw waving in his face.

"Huh? I'm awake!" he gasped, feeling like he had been thrown against the wall.

"You're starting to look kinda wobbly." Cake stated.

"I'm good," Marshall said meekly, "just exhausted, and deep in thought."

He did not know why he was feeling out of it, nor was he sure why he felt such discomfort.

Marshall Lee was good at hiding physical distress, now he just hoped he could resist the impulse to vomit, brought on by the strange pain.

**~Aaa~**

After managing to manipulate Marshall Lee's mind, Malicia found herself in the Material Plain, alive, once again, clawing along the ground of Aaa.

"It worked," she sighed, collapsing on the ground, "I'm made it."

The former Nightmare Queen looked up and saw that she was at the edge of the battlefield of the war between her son and daughter. Creatures were mauling and slaughtering each other left and right, blood, ice, acid, orbs of light, falling from the sky and lightning of all colors exploding out of the clouds.

She crawled behind a low thicket.

"Ahh..." Malicia voiced in awe, "so it _has _begun. Etherean, best of luck, and Tantibus...may your father have mercy on your non-existent soul."

* * *

I...am not entirely sure where this is going.

More war and blood later.


	18. Chapter 18

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 18

Still going.

* * *

After so long, Dream Prince had finally gotten everyone from Ooo and Aaa to the Imagination Realm. They were all placed outside the castle.

The mortals looked around, both confused and amazed.

"I don't know how we got here," Princess Bubblegum said, "but it beats being stuck in that mess on our land."

"Uh huh." Prince Gumball responded, still freaked out from earlier.

Etherean got to the top of his castle with a loud-speaker so everyone could hear him.

"Mortals," he called, "listen to me."

Everyone looked to the Dream Prince.

"Who is that?" Wildberry Princess wondered.

"I don't know," Lumpy Space Princess replied, "but he's uber, lumping hot!"

"I'm Etherean, the prince of dreams and imagination," Etherean explained, "Malicia...Empyrielle, the former Nightmare Queen was my mother, which means Tantibus is my...s...s-sister." for him, having to say that was like having claw out his eyes while choking him to death.

The mortals looked on attentively.

"I brought you all here," the Dream Prince said, "not only to get you away from the danger, but to also get your help. Please, pay no more attention to what Tantibus is doing, don't think about the nightmare she's created, think only about how she will be defeated, think about how you can help stop her."

The mortals began talking amongst each other in awe.

"Tantibus, like the former Nightmare gets her power, not only from you negative thoughts and feelings, but once your weak enough, she feeds directly off your life. That's what she's doing to the Material Plain, but it can be stopped, you just have to stop being afraid of her, she's nothing to fear. SHE'S NOTHING AT ALLLLL!"

Fionna stood next to Etherean, an after his outburst, she took the loud-speaker.

"Come on guys," Fionna announced, "he doesn't fear her, the divinities aren't, I'm not, so why should any of you?"

The mortals seemed encouraged by her words.

"As far as I'm concerned," Fionna proclaimed, "Tantibus is just a slutty, loud mouthed, black-hearted, energy whore who does not nor ever will know the meaning of love or friendship!"

Etherean took the loud-speaker back and cried, "She didn't even know the meaning of family! She _ruined _our family!"

The more he thought about, the more he knew his sister had to die.

"Get ready everyone," Etherean declared, "we will _**KILL** _NIGHTMARE SLUT TANTIBUS!"

The mortals rejoiced happily.

"I think that worked." Fionna said positively.

"Yeah it did," Etherean replied, "Tantibus will die!"

"Here's hoping." Fionna stated.

* * *

I think I'm gonna need to write a whole bunch more chapters if I want this to get as much recognition as my first two Nightmare stories did.


	19. Chapter 19

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 19

Still going.

* * *

Time was growing shorter as the time for Etherean to face his sister Tantibus drew near.

Etherean was talking to his army of mystical and fantastical creatures about how they would go about their battle.

"I won't lie," Dream Prince said, "this will be anything but easy, but just remember, no matter how dark, evil, perverted, dangerous, obscene, gluttonous, violent, loud-mouthed, furious, stupid, deranged, or brainless, Tantibus may be, in the end, she's just a tragic mistake that wormed its way into life."

The creatures responded in agreement.

"But that's why I was born," Etherean proclaimed, "in hope that I could undo the unfortunate error that nature made, and I will, but if I don't, sure 'nough, someone will. Because everyone, mortal or otherwise knows what must be done, the nightmare must die, _Tantibus_ must die!"

Everyone in the Imagination Realm cried out in agreement.

"This is will happen!" Dream Prince yelled, "It has too! If she doesn't die she'll unleash even greater threats, threats so dire, you won't even remember names like the Lich or the Lord of Evil!"

Meanwhile, in the Material Plain, Tantibus was addressing her own army of nightmarish abominations.

"My dear repugnant anomalies," Tantibus called out, "we are so close, and yes, we have had many a hindrance during our struggle, but that's no matter, for I have only just begun!"

The creatures listened closely to their queen.

"Etherean may have the confidence of the mortals on his side," Tantibus voiced, "but I have their doubt, and their fear, no matter how brave a majority of them may act, I still have a strangle hold on a good number of them, which shall suit me just fine."

She and her monsters started laughing wickedly.

"If my little brother wants me to go down, then he shall go down with me!" Tantibus proclaimed, "I'll drag that righteous, daddy's-boy, little bastard straight down to Hell with me! And I will have that pale little runt begging for mercy as he squirms in my death grip!"

There was an uproar of excitement from the monsters of nightmares in response to the proclamation of their horrid queen.

* * *

I wanna get as many chapters into this as possible.


	20. Chapter 20

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 20

All right let's go.

* * *

As the carnage continued in the Mortal World, Malicia continued to slink around.

She could not yet tell which one of her children were close to winning, so far neither of them had gotten too far.

Malicia did favor her pious son over her cold daughter, though she still missed her crown.

It was such a cruel awakening, finding out what her reign had caused, knowing how her old subjects felt. They still felt betrayed by her, being so roughly handled for so long, and now they were freed from her, only to be forced to live under the rule of their new, even worse, Nightmare Queen, Tantibus.

Malicia knew that who she was then was not who she had always been, but all she could fully recall was that her name, her real name, was Empyrielle, and her life used to be better. She knew she used to be different, she used to be better, but Tantibus ruined it.

She turned her attention to the battle field as she hid behind a tree, and she noticed powerful, beams of light coming down from the sky and blowing Tantibus's soldiers, but they were not caused by Etherean. He was too young to possess such strong power yet; no, she soon recognized that power, and realized that her son had an almighty one on his side.

"Ohhh..." Malicia voiced in awe, "Caelestis."

"Empyrielle." a docile, but strong voice said in response, as a bright light washed over her.

Malicia turned around, she saw a figure surrounded by a huge mass of light, with only its piercing, golden eyes visible.

"Oh right," the shining one added, "you don't go by that name anymore, you go by _M__a_licia now."

"Cael?..." Malicia gasped, trying to get closer.

As soon as she took a step closer, white flames grew around Caelestis to stop her, it was only after she stepped away the fire went away.

"Stay back!" he asserted, "I haven't forgotten _any _of the stuff you did to me, to everyone!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Malicia growled, "Tantibus did this to me! She tricked me!"

"I know the story," Caelestis retorted in disgust, "and I still can't believe it. You listened to her, you _believed _that swill Tantibus sold you, even after we both agreed that she couldn't be trusted!"

"I didn't know what was going to happen!" Malicia hissed, "I didn't know I would lose myself!"

"Well you did!" Caelestis cried, "You lost everything! You lost your "queendom", you lost your friends, you lost your name, you lost your _good_ child, and you lost _me_!"

They were both silent for several seconds.

"Why are you here?" Malicia asked.

"I'm helping my son kill the enemy." Caelestis said.

"I know," the former Nightmare Queen replied, "but, I mean why are you _right here_?"

"I'm curious," he questioned, "are you helping _my_ son, or are you helping _your_ daughter?"

"Neither." Malicia said, "I've done enough, now all I wanna do is watch and hope for the best."

"Right..." Caelestis replied, "hope for the best...Em."

Then he disappeared, and all was dark again.

When Caelestis was gone, Malicia turned away, then violently tore apart the tree she had just been standing behind.

"No more!" she roared.

* * *

I just felt like doing another Malicia chapter again.


	21. Chapter 21

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 21

Continuing on.

* * *

Etherean led his army into the Material Plain, with Fionna and co. following close behind. They made the mortals keep a safe distance away from the battle field.

The Dream army came before Tantibus and her Nightmare Army.

"You ready to do this, you shimmery, anorexic little pork **(substitute for the real"F" word)**?" Tantibus called.

"Bring it to us, you gluttonous, skanktactular, puss **(I wanted to use the actual "C" word, but did not have the nerve to do it)**!" Etherean countered.

After staring each other down for about a minute, they both ordered their soldiers to attack.

Instantly, both armies rushed each other, the soldiers quickly started tearing at each other.

Tantibus took the form of a giant bat and Etherean took the form of a giant phoenix, with that, the rival siblings charged and started attacking each other.

"Remember," Fionna instructed the others, "the more positive we think, the stronger Dream Prince gets."

"We've established that." Marshall Lee said.

"Just making sure you remembered." Fionna replied.

"I may be tired, but I'm not clueless." Marshall Lee sighed.

"Shhh," Fionna shushed, pressing her hand against the Vampire King's mouth, "were watching this now."

"Wow, both sides fight hard, this may take a while." Princess Bubblegum said.

"Regardless of who wins this battle, we will all soon be nightmare food or prisoners." Prince Gumball said gravely.

"What is wrong with you?" PB questioned.

"I don't know!" Gumball said emotionally, "All I can think about now is death and destruction! And it's completely involuntary!"

The dream and nightmare armies continued mangling each other, the soldiers grabbing onto one another and ripping each other apart. Etherean's Pegacorns ran the dark creatures through with their long, sharp horns and Tantibus's Skelemutants picked the righteous creatures up and slammed them against the ground to crush them to death. Some of the creatures, on both sides were so big they would just eat the oncoming enemies.

While the armies continued attacking each other, Etherean and Tantibus continued going at in the sky, charging and tearing at one another, continuously changing form to gain more advantage.

"Go Dream Prince!" Fionna yelled, "Kill her! Kill her hard!"

The mortal spectators followed suit and began to cheer for the Dream Prince.

Marshall Lee could only do so mentally, as he did not have the energy to encourage as hard as they could.

"We got this." he said quietly, it was all he could get himself to say aloud.

* * *

Still going, hoping people are still reading this, they probably are, but I don't know for sure.


	22. Chapter 22

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 22

Continuing, hoping this gets at least 100 reviews like the previous "Nightmare" stories did.

* * *

"Come on wizards," Grand Master Wizard announced, "to the battle field!"

The wizards joined the Dream creatures down on the battle field and proceeded to cast their attacking spells on Tantibus's evil army.

Meanwhile, Etherean was still battling one-on-one with his sister, or so he thought, as he started to notice the empty expressions of Tantibus''s multiple forms he realized that it was not Tantibus herself he was fighting at the moment, it was only her shadow he was battling.

"But, where did she go?" Etherean wandered as he shoved the shadow away again.

At that same time, Fionna and the others were still busy trying to transfer their positive thoughts and energy to the Dream Prince and his army.

Marshall Lee was also trying to focus what little of his own positive thoughts and energy he could muster to transfer. However, his thoughts were interrupted when he felt a familiar presence close by. While Fionna was busy, Marshall decided to investigate the presence.

He went to the edge of the forest.

"All right, let's get this over with," Marshall Lee sighed, "I know you're here somehow."

"A smart vampire you are." Tantibus stated, coming out from behind a tree.

"How are you down here exactly?" Marshall questioned.

"The Dissevered Shadow trick," Tantibus explained, "works like a charm."

With that Marshall Lee decided to pay no more attention to her.

"Why do you waste your time with these hopeless mortals?" the new Nightmare Queen asked snidely.

"Because, most of them are my friends," Marshall Lee replied, "and they're _not_ hopeless you hideous, contemptible concubine."

"Well if one were to ask me," Tantibus expressed coolly, "I'd say it's improper for a king to hang around with commoners, especially mortal ones."

"Oh okay," Marshall Lee retorted, "and if one were to ask _me _I'd say it's improper for a "queen" to rob the world of its vitality and torture people just for fun, unholy bitch!"

Tantibus looked on plainly.

"Unholy?" Tantibus replied, "Though true, that is an odd word for a vampire to use."

"Only to those who go by mortal stereotyping," Marshall Lee said, "see all vampires are different, and though my mom is a demon, I was lucky enough to inherit more honorable traits from my...dad..., namely my regard for religion."

"What does that mean?" Tantibus questioned.

Marshall placed his hands together and glared at the new Nightmare Queen.

"I'm talking about spirituality," he said, "the ultimate positive force, and the ultimate diversion to pure evil."

Tantibus looked on warily.

Marshall Lee closed his eyes.

"Our Father...in heaven...hallowed be your name..." he spoke intently.

"What are you doing?" Tantibus gasped.

"Your kingdom come..." Marshall Lee continued, "your will be done..."

"No," Tantibus growled anxiously, "stop it!"

The holy words made her feel a sensation of corrosive acid on her skin.

"On earth as it is in heaven," Marshall continued speaking, "give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts..."

"No! No! No! No! NO! It hurts!" Tantibus cried, her hands tightly pressed against her ears, "Stop it! Stoooop it! SSSSTTOOOOOPPPPPP IIIIITTTTTTT!"

Marshall Lee continued reciting the prayer louder and faster, her discomfort caused her army to stop dead in its tracks as the soldiers began to feel her pain. The Dream soldiers and Etherean also stopped, curious to the sudden change. It was then Etherean felt himself become immensely stronger.

"I feel so...GOOD!" Etherean proclaimed.

"NO MOOOOORRRRREEEEE!" Tantibus screamed.

She changed into her large, grotesque monster form.

Marshall Lee stopped speaking and looked up at her.

"I will not be brought down by the archaic holy wordsss of mortalsss!" the monstrous queen hissed.

Before Marshall could continue speaking Tantibus brought her hand down on the vampire and proceeded to siphon the life out of him.

"I'll drain the spiritual knowledge right out of you!" Tantibus snarled.

However, before she could completely sap him of his life force, Etherean found Tantibus in his phoenix form, grabbed her with his bird talons, and dragged her back onto the battle field.

"We're not done yet!" the Dream Prince cried.

Marshall Lee forced himself off the ground, barely able to keep himself afloat.

Soon Fionna found him.

"Stop disappearing!" Fionna asserted, "And what just happened here?"

"I found Tantibus's ultimate weakness," Marshall Lee said tiredly, "and I have an idea."

* * *

I'm not thoroughly religious, but I love doing research, which is how I was able to find the "Lord's Prayer". I don't know how accurate I was, since I found it online, but I'm hoping it was close enough.

I had remembered Marceline having a picture of Mary and baby Jesus in her room as well as a Puritan banner, so I just based this situation off of that knowledge.

Also, I don't like follow every vampire stereotype, like in this story my friend and I are working on, the good vampires and other creatures are only affected by unholy paraphernalia, while the bad ones are affected by holy paraphernalia.


	23. Chapter 23

Dreams vs. Nightmare

Chapter 23

Still going.

I guess, even if it doesn't get 100 reviews I'll have to end it soon to get started on the next "Nightmare" story.

* * *

Knowing that Marshall Lee knew her greatest weakness, and was most definitely informing his allies, Tantibus decided it was time to bring out her own secret weapon.

Prince Gumball was standing with the other princes and the princesses, watching the battle rage on.

"I'm sure they'll win, they have too." Princess Bubblegum said.

"Well sure, of course they _have _to win," Gumball said awkwardly, "but their odds are...well...not good, it's very unlikely, we may as well lay down like possums to play dead, you know, to prepare for the real thing."

"I don't wanna die!" Breakfast Prince whimpered.

"Look what you did, Gumwad," Flame Prince scolded, "you upset Breakfast Prince!"

"Well forgive me for staring reality in the face!" Gumball retorted.

"For once try facing silence in the face!" Flame Prince yelled.

"I'll say whatever I want..." Gumball uttered hysterically, "nightmares will win! We're all gonna die! And there's nothing we can do about!"

Bubblegum and Flame Prince looked on uneasily as Gumball started sobbing and laughing at the same time, unable to tell if he was panicking or had just lost it completely.

"I have to go," PG said breathing heavily, "over there!"

He ran away until he was at a satisfying distance away from the others.

"_You forget,_" Tantibus said, inside the prince's crumbling mind, "_you still work for me, my pink little puppet, and you're not the only one I have on hold at the moment_."

Back with the group, the prince's were watching the battle alongside the princesses.

Suddenly, Breakfast Prince felt an odd sensation hit his brain, making squeal aloud.

"Albumin," Toast Prince, still in his bother's arms, asked tensely, "what's happening?"

It was then Breakfast Prince dropped Toast Prince, and his eyes turned blood-red.

"Ave Tantibus!" BP cried out, "Illa qui adferet sequuntur somnia impius!"

"What!?" Toast Prince gasped.

Breakfast Prince continued chanting the odd utterance over and over.

"What's he saying?" Fionna wondered.

"He's saying..." Marshall Lee said, "Hail Tantibus, she who brings the nightmares wicked **(Don't know how accurate this is, I got it off the Google Translator)**."

Suddenly, Toast Prince started speaking the same phrase, then so did Engagement Ring Prince, and soon almost every prince was calling out the random saying, their eyes changing to deep red.

From further away, Gumball could hear his prince friends involuntarily crying out praise to Tantibus.

"Ay...no!" Gumball whined, falling to the ground.

"_Yes, princey!_" Tantibus laughed, her voice echoing in his head, "_they're all under my control, and as long as they continue to praise me, I cannot lose!_"

"You can't do this!" Gumball huffed, "Leave my friends alone, I'll do whatever you want and you can do whatever you want to me! Just stop making them do this!"

"_**You** will do whatever I want you to?_" Tantibus asked.

"Yes!" Gumball whined.

"_I don't believe you._" Tantibus stated.

"I swear!" Gumball proclaimed, "Do your worst, you horrid, demon spawn of the troubled imagination!"

For over a minute it was silent within his hostage mind.

"_Very well._" Tantibus stated.

With that, Gumball began to feel shaky and soon his legs gave way and he blacked out.

Back with the others, just as Tantibus said, the prince's stopped chanting and went back to normal.

Engagement Ring Prince fell back against Emerald Prince.

"I got ya, pal." Emerald Prince said, holding his friend up.

"Ugh...I feel...not so great." Engagement Ring Prince groaned.

Breakfast Prince picked Toast Prince up off the ground.

"What happened?" Toast Prince asked wearily.

"Tantibus, obviously." Fionna said.

At that time, Tantibus has become even stronger from the princes' praise, but now, it was the intelligence from Gumball's mind that fuelled her energy.

Etherean braced himself hard as Tantibus continued to bash into him.

"Come on, Dream Prince!" Fionna called, "You can do it! The light always wins! Always!"

* * *

More to come.


	24. Chapter 24

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 24

Here we go.

* * *

Though Prince Gumball's body lay unconscious by the woods, his mind had been hijacked by Tantibus, who was feeding off of his intelligence, fear, and unhappiness. In his mind, he was fully alert, and forced to watch as Tantibus started to gain more power.

"Good, sweet Grod." he shuttered tensely, watching the slaughter against his will.

"All right, Fionna," Marshall Lee said, "I'll be back in a second."

"Where are you going?" Fionna asked.

"I'm gonna use the portal spell to get something from my house." Marshall Lee told her.

Fionna looked on uncertainly.

"It's important," Marshall said, "it will help, I swear."

"Okay," Fionna said reluctantly, "but be quick!"

Marshall opened a portal to his house using his hands.

He entered his bedroom and went to his closet, frantically searching through boxes untill he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a cross, half Cake's regular size, made of black obsidian and sterling silver.

"Yes!" he responded.

Marshall Lee went to his basement where he kept a big grinder he used to sharpen his Axe-Bass. He pressed the end of the lower end of the cross against the grinder and started it up; he sharpened the cross until the end of it looked like a blade.

"Yeah," he sighed, lightly touching the sharpened point, "perfect for demon slaying."

With that, Marshall Lee opened a portal back to his friends.

"Thank Grod!" Fionna uttered, hugging the vampire around his waist.

"Relax," he replied, "I was only gone for like five minutes."

"I know," Fionna said, still holding onto him, "but anything could happen in five minutes."

"What did you get?" Cake asked.

Marshall Lee held up the sharpened cross.

"Plan B." Marshall said surely.

"Hey," Flame Prince voiced looking around, "where's Pink Wreck?"

"Yeah," Fionna replied, "where is Gumball?"

Meanwhile, Gumball was still trapped in his mind which was still being siphoned for power.

Tantibus was getting in a frightening number of hits, still getting stronger as she brutally assaulted her younger brother.

"Not...fair!" Gumball cried, clawing at his face in despair.

Suddenly, he started to hear someone calling his name, someone familiar.

"_Gumball_?" the voice called.

"Huh?" Gumball responded meekly.

"_Gumball!_" the voice called a little more furiously.

Surprisingly, Gumball felt himself being pulled away, until everything went black again, then it became light, and he started to open his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, he saw someone looking down at him, when his vision cleared, he found that it was Marshall Lee.

"Wake up, Pinky!" Marshall yelled, "Back to the Material Plain!"

"Wha?" Gumball responded, feeling light-headed, "Marsh?"

"Duh." Marshall Lee responded, "What in all Gods' names happened?"

"Tantibus is a total dog." Gumball groaned.

"Old news," Marshall said, "let's just go back now."

"Okay." Gumball sighed.

He forced himself up, and the sight looked as if a baby deer was trying to walk for the first time. Gumball was barely able to stay on his feet, and Marshall had to hold onto him.

"Steady, Princey," Marshall Lee instructed, "think sturdy and balanced!"

"I'm okay." Gumball mumbled.

He looked up at Marshall Lee, who look more out of it than himself.

"Whoa," Gumball asked, "are _you _okay?"

"I'm fine, let's go." Marshall said, impatiently tugging on the prince's arm.

"You don't look fine..." Gumball said in return.

"Shush!" Marshall hissed, "Come on."

He then dragged Gumball away from the forest.

* * *

I don't know how much longer this will be.


	25. Chapter 25

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 25

Still going.

* * *

As the Prince of Dreams and Imagination and the new self-appointed Queen of Nightmares continued pummeling each other in the air, the mortals and other Material Plain dwellers continued watching with anticipation.

However, they were not the only ones watching; hidden in the clouds and the shadows the former Nightmare Queen and the Miracle King continued to watch as their children battled fiercely, their armies seeming to match each other.

Of course, King Caelestis tried to help his son by giving him any spare power he could muster.

However, Malicia was mentally torn between her favor and dependence on her son and her fear of her daughter and herself. She knew that regardless of who she helped no good could ever come from her again.

She was soon confronted by three familiar figures, Glacia, Bronta, and Botania, three former followers who had broken free of her dark enchantment.

"Empyrielle." Glacia spoke first.

"Y-Yes?" the former Nightmare Queen responded, submitting to her birth name.

"What part do you have in any of this?" Glacia questioned.

The dethroned queen looked down at the battle field, then up at her quarreling children.

"The only part I played was giving Tantibus life and allowing her to keep it." Malicia/Empyrielle said solemnly.

"Do you plan on assisting a certain side?" Botania asked.

Malicia continued watching the aerial mayhem.

"I don't know," she lamented, "I don't want Tantibus to win, but no matter what I do no good can come from me! Not anymore!"

The three sisters realized that their former queen was now impartial and useless. It was good that she was no longer corrupted and power-hungry, but she was surely too far gone to revert back to how she was before she became the Nightmare Queen.

"What are you doing here?" Malicia asked.

"We wanna see who's gonna win." Glacia said.

Malicia noticed as Tantibus became more and more aggressive as she attacked her brother.

"I bet Etherean could stand to have a little more help." she said, glancing back at the three sisters.

After realizing what the former queen meant, Glacia turned to her sisters.

"Let's get Tantibus." Glacia said certainly.

"Are you sure we could handle...her?" Bronta asked tensely, watching Tantibus assault Etherean.

"We have to at least try," Glacia said, "now let's go!"

The three took off, leaving Malicia alone again.

The ex-queen looked up at her former king, still trying to help his son.

"Oh Caelestis," Malicia mumbled, "this was never what I wanted."

* * *

I'm trying to get in as many chapters as I can.

I didn't have time to do it yesterday because it was my birthday and I was busy.


	26. Chapter 26

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 26

WHOOOOO! 100 reviews! I'm so happy, I _can_ end this sooner than I thought!

* * *

The battle was still going on, Tantibus and Etherean going at it while their armies tore each other apart, blood, bones, and body parts strewn across the grass.

Everyone was so caught up in the fight, they paid no attention to the fact that they had less than eight hours before their world would disintegrate into nothing.

"Come on, Dream Prince," Fionna urged, "kill her! Make her suffer!"

"This is _not_ going well." Prince Gumball groaned.

Battling for so long was starting to take its toll on Etherean, who was growing exhausted from trying to match his sister's strength. However, he tried to remain strong.

"Awww," Tantibus taunted snidely, "is baby getting tired?"

"No!" Etherean responded, just as Tantibus charged into him again.

"Give it up, luminescent runt!" Tantibus snarled.

She scratched at Etherean's face, and in return he spit directly into her eyes.

"That's it!" Tantibus growled.

She mustered every bit of power she could draw up, then she grabbed her bother by his wings and plunged straight to the ground with him.

The mortals watched on warily as dust and shadows filled the air, obscuring their vision.

Etherean was slammed into the ground, he lifted his head and tried to push himself up. Unfortunately, Tantibus came up on him, stomping down on his spine, pinning him against the ground.

Out of strength and ideas, Etherean did not know what to do, just started struggling under his sister's thick, spiky-soled, boot.

"If only you could see how pathetic you look," Tantibus scoffed, "squirmed like a wounded rabbit under the claws of a wildcat."

Etherean responded by struggling harder, but it did him no good.

Tantibus apathetically reached down and grabbed the bases of her brother's huge angel wings.

Then she leaned down next to him, still keeping him pinned down.

"And now," she said, speaking into his ear, "they will all watch as life's greatest angel falls."

With that, she got a tight hold on the bases of Etherean's wings, and with one, swift, savage, horrifying move, she tore both of Etherean's beautiful wings clean off of his body. The experience to Etherean felt as if he had just had his spine torn out.

The others could Etherean cry out in agony withing the haze of darkness.

Soon, the haze cleared, and to Etherean's supporters' horror and Tantibus's supporters' pleasure, Tantibus stood there before her heavily wounded brother, proudly holding his severed wings in her hands.

"Sweet, flippin' Grod!" Fionna uttered, "Dream Prince!"

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Tantibus laughed triumphantly, "You see? You see!? I win! I always win! Darkness conquers all! Now I will be the one who controls your thoughts and dreams!"

While the others looked, still in utter shock, Marshall Lee was already prepared.

He approached Marceline.

"Whatcha think'?" Marceline asked him.

"Plan B," Marshall Lee said, holding up his sharpened cross, "stat."

"Oh my God," Marceline replied surely, "yes!"

* * *

Almost done! Almost done!


	27. Chapter 27

Dreams vs. Nightmares

Chapter 27

Moving on.

* * *

Caught up in the excitement of her apparent success, Tantibus used her power to create a large fissure in the earth to suck the life from it even faster, causing her to double in size, while her army took the advantage over Etherean's distraught army.

Though still alive, the wounded Dream Prince remained on his knees reeling in the physical and mental anguish of his apparent defeat.

"Didn't I tell you? Brother?" Tantibus proclaimed, "I told you from the very beginning I would win! And lo! I have won, Nightmares has beaten Dreams!"

Finn furiously broke away from the group.

"Finn?" Jake responded.

"Where's he going!?" Bubblegum uttered.

"Idiot!" Fionna called after him.

Finn ran yelling at the top of his lungs and threw himself into Tantibus, attempting to interrupt her act of sucking the world dry.

"Stop it!" Finn shouted.

Tantibus stopped what she was doing and looked deviously at Finn.

Finn quickly regretted his action as he had not planned what to do next.

He tried to run, but the still-growing Tantibus grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up.

"Oh, looky here," Tantibus quipped as Finn struggled in her grasp, "a little _snack_!"

Soon she was so big she merely held Finn in her fist.

"No!" Finn cried, "No! Put me down! Put me down! This ain't right!"

"Oh Etherean," Tantibus laughed as she brought Finn closer, "even your followers are pathetic! Vermin hardly fit to be a morsel!"

She tilted her head back and began to lower Finn into her mouth.

"LET HIM GOOOOOOOOO!" Marceline shrieked, ambushing Tantibus in her giant bat form.

She wrapped her arm around the new Nightmare Queen's neck and violently grabbed her wrist.

"Releassssse!" Marceline hissed, "Releasssssse!"

She bit down on Tantibus's shoulder, which surprisingly seemed to hurt the demonic girl. Even more surprisingly, Marceline bite caused Tantibus's power to drain from her body, making her slowly decrease in size.

Marceline took Finn from her and placed him at a safe distance away.

"Stay here." she said.

"Marceline," Finn asked, "what's going on?"

"Plan B." Marceline told him, winking.

Marceline continued to fly around the now disoriented Tantibus, who continued to shrink, to distract her.

Meanwhile, Marshall Lee approached the dormant Etherean.

He held his hands over the two gaping wounds where Etherean's wings used to be.

"Sana, mea vulnerati socium **(according to the Google Translator it means "Heal, my wounded ally" in Latin)**." Marshall Lee said quietly.

Almost instantly Etherean's wounds healed and his glorious wings regenerated on his back.

Though successful, the act did not do Marshall Lee's already over worked frame any good.

Etherean looked at his wings.

"My wings!" he gasped gratefully, "My strength! Yes! Where's Tantibus!?"

"That way." Marshall huffed exhaustedly, pointing in said direction.

"Tantibus!" Etherean called, who was oblivious to the fact that she was weakening fast.

"No!" she snarled, "How are you alive? How are you flying! What's happening!"

"Hold on," Marshall Lee told Etherean, before the prince could attack, "this will ensure your win."

Marshall Lee flew towards Tantibus.

"Tantibus, were you still looking for me?" he voiced.

The unstable self-crowned queen staggered toward him.

"Oh Marshall," Tantibus slurred placidly, "you look so...tasty."

"Is that so?" Marshall Lee replied innocently, with the sharpened cross stashed on his belt behind his back and concealed by his shirt, "well come closer if you want some."

"Heh, heh," Tantibus giggled insanely, throwing herself at Marshall Lee, the power loss affecting her judgment, "I want, I want! I want...luscious vampire!"

"Very well then," Marshall Lee said coolly, "though I have seven words for you, Miss Tantibus." He reached behind his back and removed the cross from his belt.

While Tantibus was still delirious and Marshall held eye contact with her, he grabbed hold of her and brought the cross high above his head.

"THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU, BITCH!" he cried, and plunged the sharpened base of the cross into Tantibus's heart.

Tantibus screamed in pure in anguish as Marshall Lee stabbed her repeatedly with the cross.

Marshall soon stopped and let Tantibus fall to the ground, but she was still breathing.

"Do it." he told Etherean, pointing at the doomed queen.

Etherean gladly shot up into the air, then Marshall Lee returned to the group.

"Marshall," Fionna said proudly, "that was awesome!"

"I know," Marshall Lee said, "hold still."

He used what little power he had left to form a protective shield around the ones closest too him, while Marceline covered the rest.

Etherean got his dying sister on target, then proceeded to dive toward her.

Fionna watched, but she could tell Marshall Lee was having trouble holding his shield spell, as the shield would fade then he would strain to make keep it from completely disappearing and she could tell it was hurting him.

"Marshall no more." Fionna said anxiously.

"I got it." Marshall Lee winced.

"But you're hurting yourself even more," Fionna insisted, "please stop!"

"Not yet!" Marshall yelled.

Finally, Etherean made contact with his target, causing a powerful explosion of light, which spread across the battle field, vaporizing Tantibus's army on soldier at a time, and automatically undoing all of the damage she did to the world.

When it was all over, Marshall Lee finally gave up on his shield spell and collapsed, but Fionna caught him in her arms.

"I gotcha, Marshy." Fionna said.

"Did it work?" Marshall asked feebly.

"It worked just fine." Fionna sighed.

Etherean looked all around the area, and was pleased to find that Tantibus was nowhere to be found.

The Dream Prince came before his faithful spectators.

"We did it!" he announced.

The mortals, other Material Plain dwellers, and Dream creatures rejoiced.

From a distance, Malicia had seen everything.

"Oh, my son." she sighed proudly.

Then she looked up and saw her former king, Caelestis, proudly looking down at his son.

"Oh...Caelestis." she sighed longingly.

Caelestis looked at her, but this time, instead of looking away in disgust, he gave her a civil nodded, then disappeared.

"I feel...different," Malicia murmured, "I feel...like I haven't felt in centuries."

The three sisters, Glacia, Botanis, and Bronta appeared before Etherean.

"Well ladies," Etherean asked, "care to help me clean up?"

"Our pleasure, Dream Prince." Glacia said humbly.

"Cool," the Dream Prince said, "but first..."

He approached Fionna and co.

"I think I'll send you guys home first." Etherean said.

"Yes," Fionna said eagerly, still holding Marshall Lee, "home, please."

Etherean used his powers to send everyone back to where they had to be.

Of course, it was after he had sent everyone home he ran into his mother.

At first they just stared at each other, not saying a word.

"Etherean." Malicia spoke softly.

"Malicia." Etherean said in the most civil tone he could muster.

"I'm so glad you stopped Tantibus..." the former Nightmare Queen said hesitantly, "...and so, I will never bother you again."

Then she disappeared.

* * *

**~Prince Gumball's Castle~**

Gumball was in his bedroom sleeping, trying to forget the last several hours.

Lord Monochromicorn was curled up sleeping next to his bed.

However, as he slept, Gumball still did not feel like his mind was all there.

For inside his head echoed the nagging word "_Remember_..." in the voice of Tantibus.

"R-re-mem-ber." Gumball mumbled in his sleep.

**~Marshall Lee's House~**

Finally, Fionna, Cake, and Marshall Lee were right back where they started, at Marshall Lee's house.

Cake was laying on the floor, and Marshall Lee was laying in his bed, barely able to move, while Fionna sat in a bean bag chair next to the bed.

"Wow," Marshall Lee said weakly, "that was some day."

"Some day?" Fionna replied, "More like some month, we've faced near destruction several times recently."

"I know and we went so long without sleep," Marshall trailed off, "it's just...crazy..."

"Shhhh..." Fionna said softly, "sleep now, talk later."

Marshall Lee nodded once and in no time he was out cold.

Cake got up to take a look.

"Oh goodness," Cake yawned, "he's finally asleep."

"Yep." Fionna sighed.

She reached over and carefully pulled Marshall's hair out of his face, but as she pulled away, she found something strange. As the vampire slept soundly, Fionna noticed that he had become slightly red in the face.

Curious, she gently placed her hand on his forehead.

"Wha?" she uttered quietly.

"What's wrong?" Cake asked.

"It feels like he has a slight fever." Fionna said.

"No surprise given all that has happened recently;" Cake replied, "Don't worry about, he'll probably sleep it off and before you know it, he'll be good as new and we can all get on with something new."

"Ya think?" Fionna responded.

"I hope so," Cake said, "because this Nightmare thing is really getting on my last nerve."

"I hope your right." Fionna sighed.

"Shhhh..." Cake said softly, "sleep now, talk later."

Then, Cake curled up on the floor and fell asleep.

"Good night, Cake." Fionna whispered.

"Good night, Marshy." she added quietly.

She then quickly kissed the vampire on his flushed face before falling asleep in his bean bag chair.

The human girl was so happy that her friends finally got to rest, but how long they wold have to do so, she had no idea.

* * *

Oh yeah, there will be at least one more sequel.

Then maybe I'll do that Nightmare Queen origin story I've been hoping to do.

Thanks for reading!


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